The German basketball players defied all failures and laid a confident start of the home European Championship. Also thanks to the top performance by Luisa Geiselsöder and Leonie Fiebich. But other other, new faces got their appearance.
The tension was noticeable throughout the hall. Everyone asked themselves the same question: Would the German team around captain Leonie Fiebich be able to defy the failures and cancellations of top performers such as Satou Sabally or Marie Gülich? In the end, the whole fear was for nothing: in front of a sold-out spectator ranks, including noble fans and birthday child Dirk Nowitzki, who has now become something of a mascot, the DBB women celebrated a confident EM start.
With 89:76, the team of national coach Lisa Thomaidis defeated Sweden and thus laid the foundation for reaching the main round in Piraeus in Greek. “Every win at a European Championship is a great success. Especially because there can be surprises in the first games”according to Thomaidis after the game. “To score 89 points, even though not everything went so smoothly yet? I’m really proud of our team.”
Geiselsöder with special motivation
The fact that there is still a need for improvement despite the convincing victory was also because Leonie Fiebich and Luisa Geiselsöder only joined the team a few days ago. Both had to be in the US professional league until shortly before the European Championship WNBA ran. Nevertheless, Fiebich set the tone on the pitch, Geiselsöder was the best thrower of the team with 20 points. “Playing in front of your own fans is definitely more motivating. We already had it in the mood, but then having Dirk with me on his birthday is something special”says Geiselsöder in the interview after the game.
It was a good start to the European Championship, even if there had been a few on and down in the course of the game, said Geiselsöder. Especially in the third quarter, the 3,400 spectators had to tremble briefly, the Swedes came dangerously close before the DBB women made everything clear in the final quarter. Then asked if there was a special pressure on them, after all, they were at the center of reporting in the past few days, the 25-year-old only shrugs her shoulders. “Personally not, no. It doesn’t affect us. But of course there was pressure on all of us because we had to perform and win in the first game.”
Bühner as “silent killer”
That has already been done. Also thanks to the playmaker Alexis Peterson, who distributed the balls, and the Emily Bessoir, who returned after a serious knee injury. In general, four players threw more than ten points. This also included Frieda Bühner, with 18 points the second best scorer of the team. The 21-year-old could become one of the key players of the tournament, as she no longer flies under the radar. Even if national coach Thomaidis recently described her as a “silent killer”.
“As much as we would like to hide Frieda, she is standing up on the notes of the opposing teams”according to the Canadian, over the Bühner, who is increasingly taken into the lack of the opposing defensive. “It can score in every conceivable way. Once the ball gets to her, the probability is also very high that she will hit”enthuses Thomaidis from the European Championship debut, who only switched from the German Women’s Bundesliga to Spain last season.
Fresh wind by new faces
Bühner is the face of a new generation of players who made it into the A squad in the junior national teams in the junior national teams. While the Osnabrücker made her debut at the Olympic Games in Paris, Clara Bielefeld and Hilke Feldrappe did against the Czech Republic at the test game at the end of May. Bielefeld, active at the Herne TC in the Bundesliga until last season, became the youngest international in the history of the DBB women at the age of 17. And now both were on the pitch for the first time at a large tournament.
Feldrappe, which plays on college in the USA, still cannot believe her happiness, as she tells the sports show. “I dreamed of that as a child. I would not have thought that I would play with the women so early. That is an honor”according to the 21-year-old, who received a total of eight minutes. Bielefeld should have been similar, which should actually only participate in part of the preparation, but then convinced the national coach. And that despite the parallel -running Abitur examination. “But that went well. Now I’m glad to be ready and to be able to play here is mega”said Bielefeld after the game.
Find out even better against Spain
Fiebich, Geiselsöder and Co. cannot rest for a long time, because on Friday the most difficult game of the group phase is coming up-the Vice European Champions from Spain are waiting. These won their first game with 85:70 against Great Britain and left no doubt about their title ambitions. In between, the Iberinnen led 34 points. However, the Spaniards are not strangers for part of the German team. Both Fiebich and Bühner played in the Spanish league this season, the former even won the title with Valencia Basket.
An advantage? According to Fiebich. “I think I can help the team quite well because I know the players inside and by heart”according to the 25-year-old in an interview. But in order to win against Spain, you have to get together even better on the field. Also better to stage hostage bodies. “If we bring Luisa to where she feels comfortable, where she can score, then nobody can actually stop”Fiebich is sure. One thing was also certain after yesterday’s evening: the tension had noticeably deviated to the great relief.