With the final siren, white smoke rose in the Stožice Arena, that’s what the organizers of the European Basketball Championship had in mind. Anyone watching from the stands in Ljubljana – and there weren’t that many people – had to peek through the artificial fog to see the Deutsche Bank. From there, the players of the German Basketball Federation (DBB) shuffled towards their opponents to congratulate them on their victory in this European Championship quarter-final.
The German end manifested itself with a 42:67 (16:33) against Spain, that sounds like a gossip, and in fact the team of national coach Lisa Thomaidis reached their limits. But in the end it didn’t matter. Because even if the medals go to Hungary, Belgium, France or Spain, positive developments that have been missing for a long time can be seen in the Germans. The team is on the right track, you really don’t have to be ashamed of the best result in 26 years (bronze at the European Championships in 1997). And in the classification games at the weekend, fifth place is still possible, on Saturday it’s against the Czech Republic (12 p.m., Magentasport), a feasible thing.
“I think we’ve shown that we belong here,” said Leonie Fiebich in a TV interview. The most talented German struggled through the tournament with a knee injury and who knows how far she could have led her team without that thick bandage on her right leg. In the quarter-finals she only got five points, she hardly managed to finish against the constant pressure from the Spaniards.
Your opponents knew who they were dealing with: Fiebich, 23, is a Europe-wide attraction at her club in Zaragoza, she is the reigning best player in Spain’s league, a career in the US WNBA league with an engagement in New York is in sight. But that’s not what it’s all about for her, she has other priorities: “We want to show the girls that there is a future for German women’s basketball,” emphasized Fiebich. “We want to build something, we want more attention and more training opportunities.”
Open detailed view
A dominating force at the European Championships and elsewhere: Leonie Fiebich, who unfortunately suffers from knee pain.
(Photo: Virginie Lefour/dpa)
That was a plea for a women’s sport that has been pushing a massive structural problem for years: a barely noticed league, the level of which is steadily falling without large financial resources. In addition, there is a lack of prospects for the offspring. And an association that has long acted according to the motto: Oops, there are still women…
Now there are signs of change, because the national players underlined their skills and importance with their performances at this European Championship. The games can be received free of charge on Internet television, and some viewers are now familiar with a Leo Fiebich with her all-round qualities. Or a Marie Gülich, whose strength under the baskets Germany urgently needs. Or a Lina Sontag, who plays clever basketball at the age of 19 and continues to develop at the renowned US University UCLA in Los Angeles.
Whether national coach Thomaidis stays with the DBB women is open
In terms of sport, the DBB team can keep up, even if there are deficits, especially in the positions for the slightly smaller players. A top-level director is missing, such as the Belgian Julie Allemand, the best point-up player at the European Championship so far. Or an experienced scorer like the Spaniard Laura Gil, who really annoyed the Germans. “You could see that my team has never been in a situation like this. It’s part of our process to play against opponents like this and see where we stand,” said national coach Thomaidis, who now has the chance to win with her team qualification for the 2024 Olympics. Two more victories would have to come in the round for places five to eight at the European Championships.
Whether the Canadian will stay with the DBB, also in the direction of the home World Cup in 2026, will only be decided after the European Championship. The players appreciate her devotion and her clear directives. “She suits us really well – in terms of her style, but also in terms of basketball,” says Fiebich. “She wants to play with big wingers, is really likeable and has a good sense of humor.” Good conditions, actually, so that everything in German women’s basketball doesn’t go up in smoke again.
