GB open FIBA Women’s EuroBasket 2027 qualifying campaign with convincing home win over Switzerland.

Great Britain began a new era under Head Coach Stella Kaltsidou in style with an impressive 85-64 triumph over Switzerland. Showcasing an abundance of confidence, GB overcame an early deficit to power past the visitors in Manchester.

Dominant inside throughout, GB’s fluid team offense found rhythm through the tireless work of Cheridene Green, who made her presence felt in the paint and converted a perfect 8/8 from the line. As Switzerland adjusted to clog the interior, the hosts showed their versatility, stretching the floor and punishing the defence by unleashing a barrage of shots from beyond the arc.

Whilst Holly Winterburn led all scorers with 26 points and moments of individual brilliance, it was the team’s relentless defensive efforts that proved decisive. Led by the imposing presence of Temi Fagbenle, GB forced Switzerland to rely on outside jumpshots which gradually wore them down and allowed GB to control proceedings on the other end of the floor, much to the delight of the vibrant home crowd.

Recording 27 assists, the side played with confidence and cohesion, dictating the tempo and clearly enjoying the occasion. International debutants Nina Rickards and 17- year-old Irene Oboavwoduo both contributed to the points tally in performances that promise a bright future for this GB squad.

Overall they did a great job. Not only today but since the first moment that we got together, they have tried really hard. They are really locked in on what we have to do. Now we have one day to rest and then we need to focus on getting better game by game. It’s a long way, but I am really happy for them. Head Coach, Stella Kaltsidou

The support in Manchester was an unmistakable factor in this result, and Kaltsidou heralded the crowd as “the sixth player”, for giving the team a much-needed boost after a slow start to the first quarter.

After looking somewhat disjointed and trailing by 10 points at the end of the first period, GB suddenly found cohesion in emphatic fashion as they erupted for 32 points in the second period while holding Switzerland to just 16. The visitors soon ran out of answers and began to foul under pressure as GB coolly capitalised with a near perfect 19/21 conversion rate from the charity stripe. This was punctuated by a Winterburn long range scoring spree, courtesy of her teammates’ smart off ball movement, which extended the lead to six points at the interval.

Recognising that their defensive intensity had built the platform for their lead, GB came out of the interval with the same energy and they immediately forced a steal that led to a Fagbenle layup. Determined to limit the damage from beyond the arc, Switzerland tightened their perimeter coverage, but that only opened up space inside. GB’s crisp ball movement exploited the gaps, finding open cutters and creating mismatches in the paint to make full use of their size advantage. Kitty Henderson and Savannah Wilkinson added valuable contributions, highlighting the squad’s depth during a dominant third quarter that put the game out of reach.

The fourth quarter again comprised of British dominance, as Switzerland were limited to only 8 points as the contest concluded 85-64.

GB can now look forward to building on this performance in their next games of the FIBA EuroBasket Qualifiers - they travel to Austria to compete on Saturday before playing Norway on Tuesday.