Germany’s basketball players ended the European Championship in fifth place with the victory against the Czech Republic. It is the best performance since winning the 1997 bronze medal.
The German basketball players won the Eurobasket in Piraeus with 81:70 against the Czech Republic on the last day and secured fifth place. After the quarter-final defeat against Belgium, the DBB team defeated Turkey in the first placement game and thus achieved the chance in fifth place.
With 20 points, Leonie Fiebich was the best player in the selection of the German Basketball Association (DBB), Alexis Peterson and Luisa Geiselsöder each contributed 13 points to the ultimately safe success.
“We wrote history”said WNBA player Geiselsöder after the best placement for 28 years at Magentasport and also referred to the prominent failures. “We have an incredible team, with so many good players. This is the key. It can only get better.”
DBB women continue upswing at the European Championship
The DBB women continued their upswing. Two years ago, the team of national coach Lisa Thomaidis had qualified for an EM finals for the first time since 2011 and ended up sixth. In 2024 in Paris, the DBB team was at the Olympics for the first time and came to the quarter-finals.
The two defeats of the tournament, which ultimately prevented a higher placement, collected the DBB team against Belgium and Spain – the two finalists.
In the last European Championship game in Piraeus, the German team was difficult to notice, the tired legs were noted to the players in the sixth tournament game within ten days. The Czech Republic won a quick 8-2 lead and went into the first break with a two-point lead.
It was only in the second quarter that the DBB team was able to shake off the tiredness a little: Luisa Gelselsöder made the equalization, Alex Wilke brought the DBB team after a strong drive and a subsequent And-One for the first time. After a 12-2 run, the lead then grew to five points until half-time (37:32).
DBB team constant-Bessoir with “Double-Double”
The German team also remained constant in the third quarter, where there had often been a break -in in the previous tournament. Fiebich and Co. took the lead to the final quarter and now had the game under control: Alexis Peterson, the strong Emily Bessoir, who scored a “double-double” (12 points, 10 rebounds), and Wilke with the next successful Drive screwed the lead to 14 points. Top scorer Fiebich made the preliminary decision four minutes before the end with a threesome (75:59) before the end – and for a conciliatory conclusion to the Eurobasket.
DBB team Verhable replacement at the European Championship dream of medal unfulfilled
The DBB team had to contest the European Championship with the preliminary round in front of the home audience in Hamburg. With captain Marie Gülich as well as Nyara and Satou Sabally, three top players had failed. This was also why the goal, hoped for before the tournament, remained unmatched in the end.
The DBB team behind group winners Spain ultimately made the leap into the KO round. Top favorite and defending champion Belgium was then too strong in the quarter -finals – at least for a German team that could not compete in the best and only in smaller rotation. However, this should change at the World Cup at the latest in the coming year, which takes place completely in its own country.