Squad confirmed for EuroBasket Women November qualifiers
Head Coach Chema Buceta has confirmed the squad for next week’s EuroBasket Women double-header as the team met for camp in Manchester.
GB welcome Greece to the National Basketball Performance Centre on Thursday before travelling to Tallin for the window’s second fixture against Estonia on Sunday.
Buceta’s squad is boosted by the return of two centurions as Rachael Vanderwal and Azania Stewart are both named following lengthy spells out the game.
Lions centre Stewart is joined by two teammates who could make their senior GB debuts, as both Shanice Beckford-Norton and Holly Winterburn are named in the final 14 for the first time.
Chantel Charles makes it a quartet of London Lions in Buceta’s roster, whilst Hannah Robb, Georgia Gayle and Renee Busch also feature as WBBL representatives.
Shequila Joseph and Cheridene Green arrive at camp in fine form from Hungary, whilst Eilidh Simpson travels from Germany with veteran Vanderwal.
Ever-present duo Temi Fagbenle and Chantelle Handy spearhead the roster alongside Karlie Samuelson, who comes off the back of a successful summer in the WNBA.
Speaking after the first day in camp Buceta was clear on the team’s goals and the importance of a strong start to the campaign:
“We begin this new campaign with a lot of enthusiasm and motivation to get our goal – to go back to EuroBasket. This is why we had our first camp in August and now we are here together to prepare the team for these two games, Greece and Estonia, which are very important. They are the first two games of this group and we are ready for that. I want to thank the clubs for their generosity by letting the players come early here for the camp.”
Tickets for the game are still available online here.
Watch the game on the BBC here.
Squad
Shanice Beckford-Norton
Renee Busch
Chantel Charles
Temi Fagbenle
Georgia Gayle
Cheridene Green
Chantelle Handy
Shequila Joseph
Karlie Samuelson
Eilidh Simpson
Azania Stewart
Hannah Robb
Rachael Vanderwal
Holly Winterburn