EuroBasket Women 2017 Group B Preview

Pictures: Zimbio.com, ecovincentino.it, FIBA Europe, tbr.org.tr

With the 2017 edition of EuroBasket Women getting underway in three days, our group-by-group preview of the competition shifts to what looks set to be the tournament's most competitive foursome.

Don’t let their geographical obscurity fool you, Belarus are a much-feared side in women’s basketball. They are extremely cool under pressure, they execute plays well and their inside game is one of the hardest to defend against. Their roster is a mix of highly experienced veterans and exciting young talent and are among some of the most determined players in the world.

However, they have posted disappointing results in the run-up to Eurobasket, and under performed in qualifying, barely winning a spot in the tournament. Could these be signs that their almost decade-long hot streak is coming to an end?

Italy have proved to be an unpredictable side, either making it to the business end of a tournament or falling early on, that is if they manage to qualify at all. A spirited display of self-belief in 2013 saw them make the quarter finals, then in 2015 a lack of urgency and consistency found them exiting early.

This time, though, they have a lot to be excited about: the debut of up-and-coming star Cecelia Zandalasini and their record in qualifying, where they were highly impressive and dropped only one game to Montenegro. If they can continue this form and the team gels, it all bodes well for Italy.

While lacking any real star power, the Slovak Republic never fail to deliver and produced some of the most exciting moments of the 2015 tournament.

They are a tight-knit outfit and, while not the strongest physically, they are among the fastest sides in the game; able to quickly switch from defence to offence, display lightning-fast passes, and getting their shots off before their opponents realise. Traditionally they have flown under the radar, but their track record shows they are never there just to make up the numbers.

Fiery Turkey always produce exciting games, for one reason or another. Although they are among the world’s best teams, surprisingly it wasn’t until 2005 when they first qualified for a major tournament.

Captain Isil Alben leads a diverse team made up of dependable scorers, (Headed by LaToya Sanders) team players (Assists leader Bisrel Vardarli) and emerging young talent (Fenerbahce sensation Olcay Cakir) whose form over the last few years has been highly impressive.

This field is the hardest of all to have any certainty about. All four teams are more than capable of advancing to the latter stages of the tournament, they all have the ability, the skill and the resolve to want to reach the highest stage possible. While some have come up short recently, all teams should all be at full strength, as they will also be competing for spots at next year's World Cup. Seeing four highly talented teams at the top of their game should make for some really exciting basketball.

For more on EuroBasket Women 2017, visit the official website.