GB FOCUSED ON MALMO MISSION
Great Britain coach Anna Montañana says her side will head to Malmo armed with the belief that they can topple the unbeaten Sweden side in their FIBA Women’s EuroBasket 2025 qualifier on Sunday.
Fresh off Thursday’s 75-62 win over Denmark in Manchester, GB now aims to conquer the Swedes on their home floor and win the all-important head-to-head match over their rivals.
“We need to recover physically and mentally now,” Montañana said.
“We passed our first test against a tough Denmark team. We need to approach Sweden with confidence and belief, and we will be focused on the task.”
The task will have significant meaning, with Sweden going into this game with the advantage. Boasting a flawless 3-0 record in Group D of the FIBA Women’s EuroBasket standings, the latest being an 82-52 win over Estonia on Thursday.
Conversely, GB now sits in second place in the pool with a 2-1 mark, with the sole blip being a narrow 64-62 loss to the Swedes in Manchester last November.
There, Holly Winterburn scored a team-high 18 points, with Temi Fagbenle adding a double-double of 13 points and 10 rebounds. They, along with the team, will be eager to overturn the two-point loss and not only break the streak but also claim the vital head-to-head.
Montañana, who joined the national team set-up four months after the first meeting with Sweden, is still aware of the challenge that awaits.
“Away games in any FIBA competition are hard,” she said.
“Sweden are very experienced, very well organised team. They have players that play in top leagues around the world and many who play in Europe, so it will be a tough, challenging, and hard game.”
A tall order awaits
Ranked 27th in the FIBA World Rankings, Sweden possesses one of the taller frontcourts in the qualifiers. Led by 6’3’ center Louice Halvarsson, the team uses its height and nimble footwork to its advantage.
The 35-year-old Södertälje native averages 10.7 points and 4.3 rebounds so far and posted eight points and four rebounds against GB in the first meeting.
The veteran doesn’t need to put up a lot of field goal attempts and uses her strong defence to alter shots and make life hard for the opposition.
Offensively, one of the most dangerous offensive threats in these qualifiers is Klara Lundquist. She hit a team-high 18 points and 10 rebounds in Manchester last November, along with three assists and three steals.
Since then, Lundquist, who plays her basketball in Spain for current league leaders UNI Girona Club Baskquet, has averaged 25.3 points, good enough for fifth overall in the qualifiers with nine rebounds and four assists thrown in.
She exploded for 30 points and 12 rebounds in Thursday’s win over Estonia, shooting 52% from the field.
“They are tall and very experienced on the court,” Montañana said. “They have good shooters and are very skilled at every position. I don’t want to focus on one player; they have multiple weapons.
“We are confident, and we believe in ourselves, and again, we will head to this game with confidence.”
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