On February 9, 2020, in the small coastal town of Ostend, the Belgian national women’s basketball team made history.
She qualified for her first Olympic Games.
The final buzz of their 61-53 victory over Sweden in the Olympic Qualifying Tournament (OQO), synonymous with qualifying for the Tokyo 2020 Games, marked the culmination of the incredible transformation of this women’s team. While they were out of the rankings, the Belgium Cats, as they are nicknamed, have gone from the abyss of international women’s basketball to the peaks of the Olympic Games.
Today, Belgium is 6th in the world ranking and one of the big favorites of the women’s Eurobasket in June (17-23 June).
To understand this incredible evolution of the women’s team, we spoke with the star of the player of WNBA, Euro League and star of Belgium, Emma Meesseman.
Emma Messseman: the Belgian star
Although the merits of this rise cannot be attributed to a single player, it would be a mistake to underestimate the impact Emma Meesseman has had on the development of Belgian basketball.
At just 28 years old, Meesseman, who is partially deaf and plays with hearing aids, already has an incredible track record that most players can only dream of having.
- 2019 WNBA Champion and Final MVP
- All-star WNBA 2015
- Quadruple champion of Euro League and MVP Final Four of Euro League 2018
- MVP of the U18 European Championships in 2011
- 2011 FIBA Youth Player of the Year
- Champion of the Belgian League 2011 and MVP of the championship
- Double Belgian Player of the Year
- Six-time champion of the Russian National League
- Winner in the Russian Cup 2017
When asked what achievement she’s most proud of, Meesseman has a hard time choosing, and it’s understandable.
“I’m pretty proud of everything. Playing for the national team is always a little more special because I grew up with my partners, ”Meesseman explained to Olympics.com. “We’ve known each other for many years and have had the same dream for so long, but everything we’ve done so far has always been firsts. “
“For our first European Championship, we won the bronze medal, it was a first. Play at the World Championships? A first too. Qualify for the Olympic Games? Another first. So I wouldn’t say this moment [la qualification pour Tokyo 2020] is the most important, but I still remember how I felt when we qualified, it’s a day that remains special and full of emotions. “
Meesseman was born in Ypres, where she also grew up. She started playing in a club when she was 16. Her mother, Sonja Tankrey, is a former basketball player, named Belgium Player of the Year in 1983. Despite her impressive heritage, Meesseman explains that her mother never pushed her to play basketball.
“The most important thing for my brother and I was to play sports. But as I grew up I think my talent for basketball started to show more and more, so it was a pretty easy choice for me to become a basketball player. But just because my mom pushed me to play basketball doesn’t mean she always gave me a choice. And then after a while I just wanted to be better than my mom! “
In 2013, after causing a sensation during EuroCup in Belgium and France, Meesseman was the 19th selected by the Washington Mystics during the WNBA draft. But initially, she dreaded the idea of moving to the United States.
“I had never seen a WNBA game. I knew a few players, but it was [la WNBA] very far from me, ”she recalls.
“I wasn’t sure I would go, I was 19 at the time and I was scared. “
But after a call with Mystics coach and general manager Mike Thibault, Meesseman decided to seize the opportunity.
“At first I didn’t think I was going to get there [en WNBA]. It was a big change, but I understood that they [les Mystics], had chosen me for my style and my way of playing. So I decided to continue like this, without changing my way of playing. “
These decisions paid off for Meesseman, who was selected for the 2015 WNBA All-Star. She won the championship with the Mystics in 2019 (the franchise’s first), in which year she was also named the Finals MVP.
Meeseman, like many other top players in the WNBA, also plays in Europe during the offseason, where she continues to strive for success. As a resident of UMMC Ekaterinburg, the 1.93 m winger won the Russian National League in 2016, 2017, 2018, 2019 and 2020, as well as the EuroLeague in 2016, 2018, 2019 and 2021.
As Meesseman continued to win titles and accolades in the WNBA and Europe, the 28-year-old also led Belgium to the top of the international stage.
The rise of Belgian basketball
Six years ago, Belgium did not appear in the FIBA World Rankings, and rightly so.
By this time, the women’s team had failed to qualify for the World Championships and the Olympic Games, and of the ten European Championships to which Belgium had qualified, its best place was 6th.
So when the 2017 European Championships started, nobody expected results from Belgium.
But the Cats were not there to make up. After beating their opponents during the group stages, Belgium won against Italy in the quarter-finals before losing their semi-final to Spain, the future winner of the tournament. But, just by reaching this semi-final, Belgium had secured their very first qualification for the 2018 World Championships. The Belgian team made a final show of strength by beating Greece by 33 points, thus winning the bronze medal.
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Winning bronze at the European Championships was already a great victory, but with the prospect of the 2018 World Championships looming, a question arose: are Belgium a serious threat?
The Cats answered this question categorically by finishing first in their group and beating the French, No. 3 in the world, in the quarter-finals before losing to the United States in the semifinals. Belgium finished 4th, a good performance for their first participation in the world tournament.
In 2019, Belgium set out in search of Olympic qualification for Tokyo 2020. This mission began with the European Championships and unlike the edition two years earlier, the Cats entered the contests attracting attention, but there were no surprises that year.
Belgium placed 5th in the Euro, securing its place for one of the three Olympic Qualifying Tournaments, which took place in February 2020.
Ostend was chosen as the host city for the tournament and the Belgium squad consisted of Canada, Japan and Sweden.
To secure a place at the Olympic Games, Belgium had to finish in the top two places in this tournament. A task that on the surface seemed simple. But after the defeat of the Belgians against the Canadians in the first match, the Olympic dream seemed to be threatened.
A big victory against Japan breathed new life into Belgium, who were preparing to play the most important match in the history of Belgian women’s basketball against Sweden.
Win and go to Tokyo.
In the packed house of the Dôme d’Ostende, Belgium rose to the occasion, beating Sweden 61-53 with a Meesseman of the great days: 24 points, 5 rebounds, 4 assists and 3 steals.
Belgium, this small country of only 11.5 million inhabitants, which was not in the world ranking in 2016, had just completed their qualification mission for Tokyo.
“Qualifying in front of our home crowd was an incredible feeling,” explained Meesseman. “But it’s been so long since we’ve qualified that our participation in Tokyo 2020 still seems unreal. Once I am in Japan and see it all with my own eyes, I will say to myself “Yes, we are at the Olympics”. “
Speaking of the team’s rise, Meesseman explained:
“I think it’s a mixture of a lot of things. Before this development, we changed coaches or staff every year, and these people had different ideas. It’s almost impossible to build something under these conditions. So when we started with coach [Philip] Mestdagh in 2015 we also had a good mix of new and old players on the team. It was like a big puzzle and each piece interlocked. “
“They also changed the schedule for the European Championships. Before, I had to choose between playing for the national team and the WNBA, and other people had other obligations. But after this change, everyone was available and from that moment the puzzle was complete and we started playing some really nice basketball. “
The Olympic Games and Euro basketball
So what is Meesseman’s goal for his first Olympic Games?
“Well, for me personally, and I think I speak for the whole team, the main goal is to have fun. I’m just going to enjoy the Games and remember the path that brought us here. Of course, we will give our best on the court, but I think if we enjoy just being there and living that experience to the fullest, it will be easier for us to play our game and play basketball without it. pressure that we have had so far. “
But before Meesseman and her fellow Belgian team members start enjoying the journey to their first Olympic Games, they will first have to compete in the European Championship. Now that Belgium is 6th in the world ranking, the Cats will be expected. They are even one of the favorite teams in the competition. But don’t tell Meesseman that.
“If we say that to ourselves, it becomes a mess in our heads. Our motto has always been: step by step, match after match, day after day. “
This slogan saw the Belgian team gain strength until they qualified for the Olympic Games. Perhaps they will lead him to the Olympic podium.
.
how Emma Meesseman led the resurrection of the Belgian basketball team
In 2016, the Belgian women’s basketball team was not in the world ranking. In a little over a month, she will be present for her very first participation in the Olympic Games.
On February 9, 2020, in the small coastal town of Ostend, the Belgian national women’s basketball team made history.
She qualified for her first Olympic Games.
The final buzz of their 61-53 victory over Sweden in the Olympic Qualifying Tournament (OQO), synonymous with qualifying for the Tokyo 2020 Games, marked the culmination of the incredible transformation of this women’s team. While they were out of the rankings, the Belgium Cats, as they are nicknamed, have gone from the abyss of international women’s basketball to the peaks of the Olympic Games.
Today, Belgium is 6th in the world ranking and one of the big favorites of the women’s Eurobasket in June (17-23 June).
To understand this incredible evolution of the women’s team, we spoke with the star of the player of WNBA, Euro League and star of Belgium, Emma Meesseman.
Emma Messseman: the Belgian star
Although the merits of this rise cannot be attributed to a single player, it would be a mistake to underestimate the impact Emma Meesseman has had on the development of Belgian basketball.
At just 28 years old, Meesseman, who is partially deaf and plays with hearing aids, already has an incredible track record that most players can only dream of having.
When asked what achievement she’s most proud of, Meesseman has a hard time choosing, and it’s understandable.
“I’m pretty proud of everything. Playing for the national team is always a little more special because I grew up with my partners, ”Meesseman explained to Olympics.com. “We’ve known each other for many years and have had the same dream for so long, but everything we’ve done so far has always been firsts. “
“For our first European Championship, we won the bronze medal, it was a first. Play at the World Championships? A first too. Qualify for the Olympic Games? Another first. So I wouldn’t say this moment [la qualification pour Tokyo 2020] is the most important, but I still remember how I felt when we qualified, it’s a day that remains special and full of emotions. “
Meesseman was born in Ypres, where she also grew up. She started playing in a club when she was 16. Her mother, Sonja Tankrey, is a former basketball player, named Belgium Player of the Year in 1983. Despite her impressive heritage, Meesseman explains that her mother never pushed her to play basketball.
“The most important thing for my brother and I was to play sports. But as I grew up I think my talent for basketball started to show more and more, so it was a pretty easy choice for me to become a basketball player. But just because my mom pushed me to play basketball doesn’t mean she always gave me a choice. And then after a while I just wanted to be better than my mom! “
In 2013, after causing a sensation during EuroCup in Belgium and France, Meesseman was the 19th selected by the Washington Mystics during the WNBA draft. But initially, she dreaded the idea of moving to the United States.
“I had never seen a WNBA game. I knew a few players, but it was [la WNBA] very far from me, ”she recalls.
“I wasn’t sure I would go, I was 19 at the time and I was scared. “
But after a call with Mystics coach and general manager Mike Thibault, Meesseman decided to seize the opportunity.
“At first I didn’t think I was going to get there [en WNBA]. It was a big change, but I understood that they [les Mystics], had chosen me for my style and my way of playing. So I decided to continue like this, without changing my way of playing. “
These decisions paid off for Meesseman, who was selected for the 2015 WNBA All-Star. She won the championship with the Mystics in 2019 (the franchise’s first), in which year she was also named the Finals MVP.
Meeseman, like many other top players in the WNBA, also plays in Europe during the offseason, where she continues to strive for success. As a resident of UMMC Ekaterinburg, the 1.93 m winger won the Russian National League in 2016, 2017, 2018, 2019 and 2020, as well as the EuroLeague in 2016, 2018, 2019 and 2021.
As Meesseman continued to win titles and accolades in the WNBA and Europe, the 28-year-old also led Belgium to the top of the international stage.
The rise of Belgian basketball
Six years ago, Belgium did not appear in the FIBA World Rankings, and rightly so.
By this time, the women’s team had failed to qualify for the World Championships and the Olympic Games, and of the ten European Championships to which Belgium had qualified, its best place was 6th.
So when the 2017 European Championships started, nobody expected results from Belgium.
But the Cats were not there to make up. After beating their opponents during the group stages, Belgium won against Italy in the quarter-finals before losing their semi-final to Spain, the future winner of the tournament. But, just by reaching this semi-final, Belgium had secured their very first qualification for the 2018 World Championships. The Belgian team made a final show of strength by beating Greece by 33 points, thus winning the bronze medal.
We are sorry, but this video is not available in your territory.
One Minute, One Sport | Basketball
01:23
“One Minute, One Sport” will make you discover the rules and the best moments of Basketball in one minute.
Winning bronze at the European Championships was already a great victory, but with the prospect of the 2018 World Championships looming, a question arose: are Belgium a serious threat?
The Cats answered this question categorically by finishing first in their group and beating the French, No. 3 in the world, in the quarter-finals before losing to the United States in the semifinals. Belgium finished 4th, a good performance for their first participation in the world tournament.
In 2019, Belgium set out in search of Olympic qualification for Tokyo 2020. This mission began with the European Championships and unlike the edition two years earlier, the Cats entered the contests attracting attention, but there were no surprises that year.
Belgium placed 5th in the Euro, securing its place for one of the three Olympic Qualifying Tournaments, which took place in February 2020.
Ostend was chosen as the host city for the tournament and the Belgium squad consisted of Canada, Japan and Sweden.
To secure a place at the Olympic Games, Belgium had to finish in the top two places in this tournament. A task that on the surface seemed simple. But after the defeat of the Belgians against the Canadians in the first match, the Olympic dream seemed to be threatened.
A big victory against Japan breathed new life into Belgium, who were preparing to play the most important match in the history of Belgian women’s basketball against Sweden.
Win and go to Tokyo.
In the packed house of the Dôme d’Ostende, Belgium rose to the occasion, beating Sweden 61-53 with a Meesseman of the great days: 24 points, 5 rebounds, 4 assists and 3 steals.
Belgium, this small country of only 11.5 million inhabitants, which was not in the world ranking in 2016, had just completed their qualification mission for Tokyo.
“Qualifying in front of our home crowd was an incredible feeling,” explained Meesseman. “But it’s been so long since we’ve qualified that our participation in Tokyo 2020 still seems unreal. Once I am in Japan and see it all with my own eyes, I will say to myself “Yes, we are at the Olympics”. “
Speaking of the team’s rise, Meesseman explained:
“I think it’s a mixture of a lot of things. Before this development, we changed coaches or staff every year, and these people had different ideas. It’s almost impossible to build something under these conditions. So when we started with coach [Philip] Mestdagh in 2015 we also had a good mix of new and old players on the team. It was like a big puzzle and each piece interlocked. “
“They also changed the schedule for the European Championships. Before, I had to choose between playing for the national team and the WNBA, and other people had other obligations. But after this change, everyone was available and from that moment the puzzle was complete and we started playing some really nice basketball. “
The Olympic Games and Euro basketball
So what is Meesseman’s goal for his first Olympic Games?
“Well, for me personally, and I think I speak for the whole team, the main goal is to have fun. I’m just going to enjoy the Games and remember the path that brought us here. Of course, we will give our best on the court, but I think if we enjoy just being there and living that experience to the fullest, it will be easier for us to play our game and play basketball without it. pressure that we have had so far. “
But before Meesseman and her fellow Belgian team members start enjoying the journey to their first Olympic Games, they will first have to compete in the European Championship. Now that Belgium is 6th in the world ranking, the Cats will be expected. They are even one of the favorite teams in the competition. But don’t tell Meesseman that.
“If we say that to ourselves, it becomes a mess in our heads. Our motto has always been: step by step, match after match, day after day. “
This slogan saw the Belgian team gain strength until they qualified for the Olympic Games. Perhaps they will lead him to the Olympic podium.
.
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