Twenty named as bid begins for FIBA Women's EuroBasket 2019

British Basketball has announced a long list of players for November's qualifiers, the first in our bid to reach FIBA Women's EuroBasket 2019. The twenty names feature Britain's WNBA champion Temi Fagbenle along with fellow 2012 Olympians Jo-Leedham-Warner, Stef Collins, Chantelle Handy, Azania Stewart, Rachael Vanderwal, and Dominique Allen. The long list includes 11 from 12 involved in the summer's friendlies in Belarus, of which the highlight was a superb win over Argentina. The only exception is Janice Monakana who is recovering from a summer knee operation. The group will meet in Manchester in the first full week of November ahead of the visit of Israel to the National Basketball Performance Centre on Saturday November 11th. Tickets are available for the first women's international there since their epic comeback 71-67 win over Montenegro in February 2016.

Britain then travel to Northern Greece where they will face their first away game at the 4,000 capacity Kozani Arena on Wednesday November 15th. Chema Buceta will again be Head Coach and is looking forward to the task of Britain qualifying for the 2019 Finals which will take place in Serbia and Latvia. "I trust this group of players to form the best team to achieve the big challenge of qualifying for FIBA Women's EuroBasket 2019.” "After working hard in May and June to grow as a team, we will now concentrate on preparing for these games against Israel and Greece.” "I'm sure we can get a good crowd in Manchester on November 11th to support the team.”

GREAT BRITAIN OUTLINE SQUAD FOR OPENING FIBA WOMEN'S EUROBASKET QUALIFIERS 2019

Dominique Allen (Manchester Mystics)

Jennifer Ashton (Westfield Health Sheffield Hatters)

Mollie Campbell (Leicester Riders)

Stefanie Collins (Cardiff Met Archers)

Melita Emanuel-Carr (CABC Basket (FRA))

Temi Fagbenle (Minnesota Lynx (WNBA)/CCC Polkowice (POL))

Christina Gaskin (BA London Lions)

Chantelle Handy (Team Northumbria)

Georgia Jones (Manchester Mystics)

Shequila Joseph (Fassi Albino (ITA))

Jo Leedham-Warner (Villeneuve D'Ascq ESB Lille Metropole (FRA))

Nicolette Lyew Fong Quee (Durham Palatinates)

Harriet Ottewill-Soulsby (Durham Palatinates)

Siobhan Prior (Nottingham Wildcats)

Hannah Shaw (Nottingham Wildcats)

Eilidh Simpson (Cardiff Met Archers)

Azania Stewart (TTT Riga (LAT))

Hannah Sunley-Paisley (St-Paul Reze (FRA))

Jamila Thompson (Leicester Riders)

Rachael Vanderwal (Ferrol (ESP))

*BOLD = WBBL Player

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