It's their time: Six rising stars ready to shine in November

MUNICH (Germany) - A year is a long time in basketball and multiple players have seriously turned up the dial since the previous window of the FIBA Women's EuroBasket 2023 Qualifiers were played 12 months ago.

Here's a selection of players who have risen up and could have an even bigger impact on their respective teams once the action returns this later this week.

Iliana Rupert - France

What a year or so it has been for the young center. Yes, by the time of the first window in 2021 she had already accumulated a FIBA Women's EuroBasket silver and Tokyo Olympics bronze medal. But, she didn't play huge minutes and it was similar in the Qualifiers. Since last November, Rupert has been crowned the EuroCup Women Final Four MVP after winning it with Bourges, has become a WNBA champion and also made a big move to the ambitious Virtus Segafredo Bologna. She showed at the FIBA Women's Basketball World Cup in Sydney recently she is ready to take a step up and France will need her to. 

Jovana Nogic - Serbia

The success or otherwise of the transition Serbia are undergoing in the wake of so many leading players having departed was always going to hinge significantly on the likes of Nogic picking up the baton. Last November she scored one basket against Croatia and was not that influential, but the FIBA Women's Basketball World Cup has changed everything. The guard showed she can be a strong backcourt presence for her country and their run to the Quarter-Finals in Sydney confirmed what a good job she did. But can she maintain this momentum?

Juste Jocyte - Lithuania

Not only the future of Lithuanian basketball, she could now have a significant impact now. Sensational as MVP of the FIBA U18 Women's European Championship this past summer when propelling her team to gold, Jocyte is already a record breaker at senior level as the youngest player and scorer. Even if still a teenager, she's the real deal and might offer cameo or even leading displays. A stunning talent, she makes the game look so easy and always looks like she has time to burn which is the hallmark of a great player.

Holly Winterburn - Great Britain

Arguably the most exciting member of the new Great Britain generation, Winterburn looks ready to possibly make an even bigger noise when donning a national team vest. Her nation's memorable run to the Semi-Finals of the FIBA Women's EuroBasket 2019 came too early for her, but now she has broken into the team, expect her role and influence to potentially go through the roof. She has been super in EuroCup Women with London Lions and posted many fine stat numbers in the competition during the past 12 months.

Marija Lekovic - Montenegro

A brilliant young talent, Lekovic took Montenegro to the FIBA U20 Women's European Championship, Division B title and promotion to the top flight with a stellar MVP performance. This time last year she scored a couple of baskets in that first window and played a limited role, but she has since shown that she can now start to make the transition towards becoming a bona fide leader for the senior side. Moving forward, she's likely to want to move on from her own domestic and WABA League to show she can do it at a higher level.

Hind Ben Abdelkader - Belgium

The guard missed out on Belgium's incredible rise to prominence over the past five years or so under former Cats' head coach Philip Mestdagh. Even last year when Valery Demory took over, there was no HBA in the team for the first window. But, last February she made a major tournament return for the FIBA Women's Basketball World Cup Qualifying Tournament and helped Belgium make it to Sydney for the main event. Abdelkader logged some solid displays and can go off in any given game due to her scoring power.

FIBA