BRA – Door opens for Erika and Adrianinha, but not Iziane
RIO DE JANEIRO (Olympics) – Brazil coach Paulo Bassul has announced the 16 players who will compete for spots in this year’s Olympic squad with Erika de Souza and Adriana Moises among them but not outcast Iziane. Center Erika missed the FIBA Olympic Qualifying Tournament after picking up an injury while playing in the WNBA with Atlanta while ...
RIO DE JANEIRO (Olympics) – Brazil coach Paulo Bassul has announced the 16 players who will compete for spots in this year’s Olympic squad with Erika de Souza and Adriana Moises among them but not outcast Iziane.
Center Erika missed the FIBA Olympic Qualifying Tournament after picking up an injury while playing in the WNBA with Atlanta while Adrianinha withdrew from the team citing personal reasons.
Iziane, meanwhile, was thrown off the team at the qualifying tournament in Spain after refusing to enter Brazil’s quarter-final against Belarus in overtime.
She had not played at all in the third or fourth quarters following an exchange of words with Bassul when she left the court in the second quarter, and the preliminary squad confirms that she will not play in Beijing.
Brazil women preliminary squad for Olympics:
Erika de Souza, Jucimara Dantas (Mama), Kelly Santos (Kelly), Graziane Coelho (Graziane), Soeli Zakrzeski (Ega), Franciele Nascimento, Karina Jacob, Fernanda Beling, Patricia Ferreira, Micaela Jacintho, Jaqueline Silvestre, Karen Gustavo, Karla Costa (Karla), Adriana Moises (Adrianinha), Claudia das Neves (Claudinha), Natalia Burian (Natalia).
Jeff Taylor