The eighth stop of the third FIBA 3×3 Women’s Series season takes place in Bucharest. On its way to the finals in Constanta, the Women’s Series tour stops in Park Lake. This is the second time a stage has been held in Park Lake, after the 2019 season when Team Canada was the winner.
Exactly 2 years after that time, the Canadians return from the position of world silver medallists. The team has only one change from two years ago, when the Plouffe sisters put on a show in Park Lake. Back with them will be Crozon, the change being Bosch, Canada coming with the team with which they also played in the World Cup Final. Incidentally, they also won the last Women’s Series tournament they participated in, right on home soil in Edmonton. Canada comes to Romania as the second favourite, being only at their second Women’s Series tournament this year.
The main favourite and leader of the women’s tour is Germany. They have played 5 tournaments this year, winning two of them, playing the final just two days ago in Mongolia. Sonja Greinacher is the top scorer at the moment on the women’s circuit with a total of 92 points. Germany were the queens of 3×3 basketball last year after winning the final tournament, held in the Palace of Parliament. The task remains the same this year, when the finals will be held in Constanta.
The French delegation also has connections with the event held in the Palace of Parliament last year. Two of the four arriving in Park Lake won last year’s Nations League final tournament. Limouzin and Djekoundade made the leap to the senior team, managing to win the gold medal at this year’s World Cup. France played in four tournaments this year, always finishing on the podium. It’s not quite the team that won this year’s biggest 3×3 tournament, but France are the number 3 favourites, with players who have found success in Bucharest before.
The Czechs are the event’s fourth favourite, even though they have only played two stops this year, finishing 10th and 6th. They come with a young team, with players up to 23 years old, who have impressed on the Nations League circuit.
Rated with the fifth chance are the United States. Their team comes with two players who also participated in the World Cup, Burdick and Cox, who are joined by Harper and Richardson. Harper is the Americans’ leading scorer this season with 68 points. When Richardson played this season, the U.S. finished second.
Romania is the tournament’s sixth favorite. Three of the four players just returned from Mongolia, where they finished fifth. Pop is already familiar with the ParkLake course, having played there day in and day out in the Nations League’s stops for the past three days. They are ranked seventh in the world, with 20 points less than the fifth-placed Spain. Romania will play France and Switzerland in the pool stage with a good chance of qualifying for the knockout stage.
Austria is rated with the seventh chance, although they only have two tournaments so far this year, tournaments where they have not had great results. They have played in the last two tournaments in Europe, continuing their run of appearances on the old continent, hoping for better results at the end of the season.
In its first tournament since Bordeaux, Israel returns to the circuit. Alexandra Cohen, their top scorer, will be in Bucharest in a bid to climb the overall ranking, where they are 12th.
The tenth favourite is also a team that has only played in two tournaments this year without any outstanding results. Latvia is looking for the opposite end of the season to the beginning, where they lost qualification to the Europe Cup, even against Romania.
Italy seems to be the most dangerous team of those that have played little so far this year. Only two rounds, without a result close to the podium, but with an average of points scored of 15.2. In the average points scored per game ranking, Italy would be 12th. In the overall ranking they are 20th.
Another team that has only ticked off two tournaments this season is Switzerland. However, in the few games they have played, they have averaged 15.5 points per game. They are rated with the last chance in the group Romania is in.
A new team in the Women’s Series circuit comes to Bucharest. Düsseldorf ZOOS debuted in the tournament in Prague, where they finished in fifth place. Their team includes Jennifer Crowder, who won last season’s Women’s Series with the German team.
It will be two days where the best teams in the world will fight to get as close as possible to the top positions in the overall ranking. World champions, Olympic teams will come, and there will be entertainment and competitions for spectators in between the matches.
See you in Park Lake on Tuesday 9 August, starting at 16:00. Romania will play at 18:40 against France and at 20:30 against Switzerland.
