Belgian Cats finalize roster for home court mission

ANTWERP (Belgium) - Belgium will step out at the FIBA Women's Olympic Qualifying Tournament 2024 on home soil in Antwerp with the core of the team that won them Continental silverware last year.

While influential center Kyara Linskens will miss out with an injury and Billie Massey has not made the final selection, head coach Rachid Meziane is going strongly with the ballers that lifted the FIBA Women's EuroBasket 2023 title in Ljubljana.

Not least in the shape of their marquee baller Emma Meesseman, now rightly renowned and revered as one of the best in the women's game and a leader they will feel can take them to the Olympic Games for a second time. Certainly Belgium will look to their leader to carry the scoring load and much more.

Allemand and Vanloo joined teammate and MVP Meesseman in the All-Star Five last year in Slovenia

But it's not all about Meesseman, especially with a guard combination of Julie Allemand as playmaker and the versatile Julie Vanloo, who can bring buckets from backcourt.

With the former pulling the strings and the latter capable of going off in any game, they nave two top level performers to rely on.

Antonia Delaere is an absolute rock in the small forward spot too. An unsung hero of Belgium's rise for those outside of the Cats, but with her excellent contributions respected and recognized within.

The rebounding of the powerful Bethy Mununuga will take on extra relevance in the absence of Linskens, while the energy and athleticism of Maxuella Lisowa-Mbaka could also be vital.

There will be a debut for rising star Nastja Claessens , with the teenager elevated after missing out last year and also touted as one of the young guns to follow at the WOQT's. 

FIBA