A facelift in the Women’s League semi-finals

A “Derbiberon” between Tarbes and Basket Landes

The two teams who face each other this Thursday (7 p.m.) in the first leg of the Women’s League semi-finals share one thing in common: 50% of the players lined up in each of their squads are 23 years old or younger. A “youthfulness” assumed by the two representatives of the South-West and which notably allowed the TGB to surprise Bourges in the previous round, by offering a rhythmic game led by the trio Leïte-Foppossi-Malonga, author of 121 of the 170 points scored against the Berruyères.

Compared to the 22.7 years average age of Tarbes, Basket Landes does not look much older (24.6). Marie Pardon and her comrades remain on a logical defeat in the final of the Coupe de France, but imagine that the duel lost against Bourges (63-76) and its pivot Kayla Alexander (22 points, 15 rebounds) will have been most educational, time to measure yourself against the talent and height of Malonga (1.98 m, 17 years old).

Valuable experience of the ESBVA against Montpellier

The departure of Kennedy Burke (27 years old) for the New York Liberty (WNBA), replaced by Keisha Hampton (34 years old) makes the ESBVA, which faces Montpellier on Thursday (8:50 p.m.) in the other semi-final poster , the oldest team on the field (26.1 years on average, compared to 25.1 for Montpellier). The experience embodied by Shavonte Zellous (37 years old) or even Kariata Diaby (28 years old) will not be too much against the Héraultaises who will not start favorites after having struggled in the quarterfinals against Charnay (77-62 victory at the away, 64-75 defeat at home).

“The trap is to consider that it will be easy,” says northern coach Rachid Meziane. I remember that in the final last year, it was precisely the experience that we lacked against Asvel. That’s why I rely on girls, like Zellous, who are older and therefore essential. But I’m not surprised to see a lot of young people in the last four, we have a great generation of young people in France. »