Ukraine spring a surprise with an absent gem
KIEV (Ukraine) - Supporters of Ukraine and women's basketball fans in general have been left scratching their heads after a 19-player squad was revealed for the FIBA Women's EuroBasket 2019.
KIEV (Ukraine) - Supporters of Ukraine and women's basketball fans in general have been left scratching their heads after a 19-player squad was revealed for the FIBA Women's EuroBasket 2019.
Rather than focusing on who was in the talent pool for the event, it was the absence of the jewel in their crown that grabbed the headlines.
| Ukraine 19-player squad for FIBA Women's EuroBasket 2019 | |||
| Valeriya Berezhynska | Arina Bilotserkivska | Olga Dubrovina | Oksana Fastova |
| Vita Horobets | Viktoriya Kondus | Mariia Kovtun | Veronika Liubnets |
| Olesia Malashenko | Olga Maznichenko | D’Andra Moss | Anna Olkhovyk |
| Oksana Pyantak | Kateryna Rymarenko | Olena Samburska | Nataliia Tsiubyk |
| Taisiia Udodenko | Miriam Uro-Nile | Olga Yatskovets | |
Elsewhere in the squad, head coach Goran Boskovic will be hoping classy forward duo Olesia Malashenko and Valeriya Berezhynska will join up with the squad - despite not being regulars in recent times. That would certainly help offset the absence of Alina Iagupova.
There will be a huge reliance on Taisiia Udodenko, with the forward absolutely fantastic at the last edition of Final Round, while the naturalized D'Andra Moss brings EuroLeague Women experience to the table.
Ukraine will face Great Britain, co-hosts Latvia and reigning champions, Spain.
FIBA