Group D preview: Will defending champions Serbia pass early tests?
LJUBLJANA (Slovenia) – The main focus of Group D will inevitably fall on Serbia's defense of their cherished 2021 title, but they might not have it all their own way against Hungary, Slovakia and Turkey.
LJUBLJANA (Slovenia) – The main focus of Group D will inevitably fall on Serbia's defense of their cherished 2021 title, but they might not have it all their own way against Hungary, Slovakia and Turkey.
Certainly Serbia will be favoured to take top spot in this pool after their creditable sixth place finish at the FIBA Women's Basketball World Cup 2022 in Sydney and still have their high-achieving coach Marina Maljkovic at the helm.
Turkey might feel they have the biggest reputation after the reigning champions, but that will count for nothing if they don't take care of business. They could be vulnerable in this group if marquee player Teaira McCowan is not firing on all cylinders.
Hungary are a team that can pull off eye-catching results and their solidity is underlined by having been highly competitive in the Qualifiers against Spain. Equally, Slovakia have picked up some decent victories in preparation and even if they are the least fancied nation, they have a track record of surprises - including making the Quarter-Finals in 2017.
HUNGARY
Potentially having a bonafide shot at a ticket for the Quarter-Finals or maybe even beyond, Hungary will also know they could fall victim to a Group Phase exit – it's so unpredictable.
Having the quality of the towering Bernadett Hatar is a bonus and she will be the go-to player in the paint. The terrific work of Virag Kiss in the past two years has also added to Hungary's effectiveness inside.
The wing spot will be filled by Reka Lelik who is a true 'X-Factor', while Agnes Studer has shown in EuroLeague Women in these past seasons that she has matured a lot at point guard. Also watch out for younger players like Aliz Varga, Reka Dombai to make a splash.
Missing out on the 2021 edition, the main task was to get themselves back to the big table and while there is maybe a lack of depth and choices compared to some teams, they are very dangerous in any game.
Star Player: Bernadett Hatar
| Head to Head | P | W | L | Win % |
| v Serbia | 0 | 0 | 0 | - |
| v Slovakia | 13 | 8 | 5 | 61% |
| v Turkey | 3 | 0 | 3 | 0% |
SERBIA
Nobody expected Serbia to make history in 2015 when they became champions for the first time and even fewer thought they would repeat the feat in 2021.
Equally, nobody probably expects Serbia to hang onto their precious crown, but they just love to prove the doubters wrong. Critically, they still have the appetite, talent and of course the revered head coach in Marina Maljkovic to fight for the podium again.
While they don't have the legendary Sonja Vasic who was MVP two years ago, or the brilliance Jelena Brooks, they still have game-winners in guard Yvonne Anderson and forward Aleksandra Crvendakic who could be the difference-maker at this edition,
Tina Krajisnik is a warrior and such a great anchor in the paint, with Nevena Jovanovic and Sasa Cado likely to expertly use their priceless experience. However, maybe the deciding factor will be whether the new generation such as Jovana Nogic can produce like those who went before her.
Star Player: Aleksandra Crvendakic
| Head to Head | P | W | L | Win % |
| v Hungary | 0 | 0 | 0 | - |
| v Slovakia | 1 | 1 | 0 | 100% |
| v Turkey | 4 | 1 | 3 | 25% |
SLOVAKIA
Slovakia are regularly viewed as rank outsiders with little chance and this year is no different. But being underdogs won’t bother head coach Juraj Suja or his players because it's such a well-worn label.
Playmaker Barbora Wrzesinski will again provide leadership by pulling the strings and offering scoring contributions in the backcourt. Meanwhile, Miroslava Mistinova really came alive in the Qualifiers and the winger's scoring mentality could be precious.
Terezia Palenikova is in good form and finished the Spanish League season with EuroLeague Women side Girona. Sabina Oroszova will turn up the dial in the frontcourt and lay a lot of minutes in the paint, while Ivana Jakubcova was excellent in the qualifiers under the basket.
With less firepower than their peers, defense will be a big part of the strategy and if they build on the confidence of beating the likes of Israel and Latvia in preparation, they could yet surprise.
Star Player: Barbora Wrzesinski
| Head to Head | P | W | L | Win % |
| v Hungary | 13 | 5 | 8 | 38% |
| v Serbia | 1 | 0 | 1 | 0% |
| v Turkey | 4 | 0 | 4 | 0% |
TURKEY
It's been a lean time recently for Turkey, who have finished 14th at the past two editions. It has been a transition period and one they hope will now be over and will lead into an upward curve.
Re-discovering the glory days of successive podium finishes in 2011 and 2013 is probably still out of reach, but with the naturalized Teaira McCowan they have a colossus to base their campaign around. The center is a walking double-double – providing she is fully fit after some recent injury worries.
Fortunately forward Tilbe Senyurek is alongside her in the paint and on fire, while recently crowned EuroLeague Women champion Olcay Cakir Turgut will look to stand tall in the backcourt alongside Pelin Bilgic.
The experience of Bahar Caglar Okten and Tugce Canitez will be useful too, but a lack of scoring options means that to succeed, they will have to really dial up the intensity on defense.
Star Player: Teaira McCowan
| Head to Head | P | W | L | Win % |
| v Hungary | 3 | 3 | 0 | 100% |
| v Serbia | 4 | 3 | 1 | 75% |
| v Slovakia | 4 | 4 | 0 | 100% |
FIBA Women's World Ranking, presented by NIKE
| WORLD RANK |
COUNTRY | ZONE RANK |
CURRENT POINTS |
|---|---|---|---|
| 8. | Serbia | 4. | 582.9 |
| 11. | Turkey | 5. | 467.0 |
| 22. | Slovakia | 13. | 285.4 |
| 24. | Hungary | 15. | 275.9 |