FIBA 3×3 Europe Cup Finals: GB team, fixtures & how to watch
Great Britain continues its 3×3 journey in Paris this weekend at the Europe Cup Finals.
Stef Collins’ women’s team went undefeated in qualification in Romania earlier this summer to earn the right to a shot at the FIBA trophy.
The GB men fell just short of reaching the French capital, but the women have a chance of glory – albeit against tough opposition – meeting well-fancied Russia and the Ukraine in the pool stage on 11 September and aiming to reach the final the following day.
Some of the stars of the GB 5v5 team will again suit up for the 3×3 team aiming to further improve their ranking of 31st in the world.
Squad
There is one change from the team that shine in Romania.
Chantelle Handy is unavailable and fellow GB 5v5 star Cheridene Green replaces her to give GB a different option. Newcastle’s Abby Lowe has travelled with the squad as a reserve.
Temi Fagbenle, Shanice Beckford-Norton and Shequila Joseph, who all excelled in Constanta, continue.
Team: Temi Fagbenle, Cheridene Green, Shanice Beckford-Norton, Shequila Joseph. Reserve: Abby Lowe
Coach
Stef Collins, also appointed as the Team England 3×3 women’s head coach for Birmingham 2022, again leads the team.
The former GB guard has a wealth of club and international 5v5 playing experience and is an established WBBL coach with Cardiff met Archers.
She said: “It will be important we focus on a few key areas and develop a gameplan in our pool stages that can play to our strengths. We’re very much looking forward to the Finals and the challenge ahead!
Competition structure
There are 12 teams in four pools of three.
The top two teams in each group going forward to the quarter-finals.
Pool games are played on 10 and 11 September.
The quarters, semis and final are played on 12 September
Fixtures
GB are in Pool B with Russia and Ukraine with games played on 11 September.
4.30pm BST: GB v Russia
6.20pm BST: Russia v Ukraine
8.10pm BST: GB v Ukraine
How to watch
The game will be streamed on the FIBA 3×3 YouTube channel and the Basketball England and Great Britain Facebook pages.
GB’s opponents
Russia, No.2 in the women’s world rankings, won the Europe Cup in 2014 and 2017 and came away from this summer’s Olympic Games with a silver medal, while Ukraine, 22 in the world, took bronze in 2018 Europe Cup.
GB, just starting out on their 3×3 journey, have amassed enough points already to be 31st in the women’s world rankings.
How GB qualified
GB qualified for the tournament with success in Romania earlier this month.
They went undefeated throughout in Constanta knocking off second-seeds Hungary in their opening Pool B outing 17-12, before rounding out the pool games with a 21-13 win over Slovakia and winning their elimination game against Belarus.
GBxBE
GB teams were entered in the Europe Cup and U23 Nations League this summer as part of a collaboration between Great Britain Basketball and Basketball England.
All players selected qualify to represent Team England and the dual aims for these two competitions are to help prepare Team England players for next year’s Commonwealth Games 3×3 event and to set about improving the GB national teams’ 3×3 rankings.