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Rezé, France.

One month to the day before the opening of the upcoming U17 World Cup to take place in Minsk, Belarus (July 21st-30th) started in the suburbs of Nantes, France the 30th edition of the Rezé Basket International tournament that gathered 7 teams from 3 continents during 4 days of action. Were present U17 France, U17 China, U17 Belarus, U17 Argentina, U18 Ireland, U18 Belgium and U18 Poland. Throughout its 30 years of existence Rezé has seen the emergence of quite a few Women’s Basket-Ball international stars, not least being Los Angeles Sparks’ forward Candace Parker who took some time ahead of the tournament to send her best wishes to the organizers and all the players involved.

https://www.facebook.com/RezeBasketInternationalFeminin/videos/1045131348974512/

Originally a fifth U17 team participating to the World Cup was meant to step out as well but due to last minute administrative issues the U17 NT of Mali had to cancel its presence leaving the organization team with an uneven numbers of teams on inaugural day and us without a chance to get a closer look at Mali’s phenomenon and double-double machine: 2002-born center Sika Koné. Prior to Mali’s misfortune, another African team, Mozambique, faced difficulties to make the trip as was planned in the first place and had to be replaced. Belgium answered the organizers’ call and despite not holding camp at that time managed to bring its U18 team over to France ahead of their European Championship that will take place in Udine, Italy at the beginning of August where they will step as reigning champions.

The groups of the tournament turned out very inequitable with Group A holding 3 of the 4 best teams (FRA, BEL, CHN) while Group B had only one (POL). Belarus was Group A’s 4th team while Ireland and Argentina completed Group B. As mentioned Belgium, Poland, France and China were all competitive whereas Belarus, Ireland and Argentina came to test themselves against stronger opponents. Rezé Basket International also gathered teams at different stages of their preparation not allowing to draw any meaningful conclusions at this point. The final standings didn’t exactly reflect the intrinsic level of each team. Argentina finishing ahead of China makes little sense to the neutral observer for instance, Belgium with a full roster was the 2nd best team in the competition over Poland, etc.

 

So what did we see, what did we learn in Rezé?

 

It will be a difficult U17 World Cup in Minsk for Argentina and home team Belarus. France is grounded but very ambitious. China will need its starting center to play big minutes in Minsk. Belgium will hope the injuries to 2 of its starters will be history by August and Poland showcased an elite-levelless team but with a balanced core of players. Ireland will hope other players than Dayna Finn can emerge in the future.

 

Argentina arrived strong of a podium finish last summer at FIBA Americas U16 but discovered on French soil they will have to adapt to international play quickly and will need to find ways to stay out of foul trouble if they want to stay in games. Their only win of the tournament came at the cost of the U18 Div B team of Ireland and only by 4 points (68-64). The Latin America type of play is much different from Europe and Argentina struggled to adapt to it in Rezé. In their second game on day 3 against Poland they committed the incredible amount of 13 first quarter fouls giving Poland 20FT. One player displayed the kind of level required at a World Cup: Florencia Chagas (10,6ppg-4,7rpg-2,3apg but 21%FG3) but both for good and bad reasons she is forced to do too much for her team most of the time. Knowing she is the leader and difference-maker she has the tendency to soak the ball excessively. Back-up to Chagas will most likely come from PG Sofia Acevedo in the backcourt and from forwards Victoria Gauna and Candela Gentineta.

 

France was without its star, U16 Euro MVP & LFB/ELW-bound Iliana Rupert who was busy taking her graduation exams and relied when it mattered the most to the strong trio of LFB-bound Kendra Chéry (11ppg-6,5rpg), LFB-bound Marine Fauthoux (11ppg-4,5apg-46,6%FG3) and Zoé Wadoux (21ppg-48,5%FG3 on 16/33) who finished as the tournament’s lead scorer and shot the lights out in every game she played. The home team entered the competition  with an 18-players strong roster using each game to test newcomers and new chemistry while experimenting various roster combinations (leaving Wadoux to rest on Day 2 and giving limited minutes to Chéry and Fauthoux on the same day). Once Rupert comes back to the team these four aforementioned players will certainly help France go a long way in Minsk where they will be very ambitious. New additions to last year’s U16 gold medal team adding include the likes of PG Ewl Guennoc who at just 16 played her first full season in French LFB for USO Mondeville, G/SF Yohana Ewodo who should have played in Bourges last summer but suffered an elbow injury days before the beginning of the tournament, Swiss-knife Eve Mahoutou who is very physical and a priceless role player who can play all positions from to 2 to 4, especially in defense. A player who was in Bourges last year but who looks like anew is SF/PF Janelle Salaun who could use Minsk as a breakout tournament. Otherwise Marie Pardon, Eve Wembanyama, Anaia Hoard and Jade Hamaoui will most probably clinch their spots on the final roster giving France real depth.

 

Belgium came to evaluate where it stands with a 50% renewed team from last year where they claimed gold at U18 Euro in Sopron, Hungary. While their star trio from last year return (the Massey twins Billie and Becky + Marie Vervaet), coach Diels Arvid needed to see who from the rest of the roster could step in this year. Unfortunately over the course of the tournament Belgium lost two of its stars to injuries (Billie Massey-ankle after just 7 minutes in the first game and Marie Vervaet-knee in the third game) leaving Becky Massey (14,7ppg-7,5rpg) with a huge chunk of responsability. It consequently also gave the opportunity and forced the the rest of the team to show what they were capable of. The main satisfaction on the Belgium front will certainly be the shape and quality of 2001-born G Maxuella Lisowa-Mbaka (15ppg-9rpg) who impressed with her athleticism, versatility, fearless type of play, driving and scoring. In the backcourt she got decent help from guards Emmeline Leblon, Eva Hambursin, Sam Van Buggenhout and binational BEL/SPA swingman Paula Dits, Belgium finding out about her BEL ascendancy only very recently, the player playing at club level for Valencia in Spain.

 

China gave limited minutes to their most efficient player at last summer’s Asia U16 tournament, where they took 3rd spot, and only real big: center LIU Yutong who in Rezé played 13min in the first game, didn’t play in the second and finished the tournament averaging just 17mpg. She will be central to China’s performances come Minsk. Without her China is left with just one, yet very talented, other forward in the shape of PF and tournament MVP WAN JiYuan (11,75ppg-12,75rpg). As oftern with Asian teams their biggest value and quality is high-paced basketball, great ball movement and behind the arc efficiency. China tended to misfire from distance but on any given day they will shoot any team down, if you let them to. They have a stacked backcourt highlightened by PG ZHENG Ming and SG YANG ShuYu (my favorite player of the tournament), both players finishing on the podium of the 3pt contest (Yang 1st, Zheng 3rd), but back-up guards WU Xiang Ling and ZHOU Jing can prove influential anytime just as HUONG Kun at the PF position.

https://www.facebook.com/Mlaurylaurent/photos/ms.c.eJw9kNsNBDEMAjs6xU9w~;42d4l32d0RgYrfOms44CSLs5wsyccE4XtAnN4Hzgjp~_AeECiaC5tRKJvMAjBDj7hKVSApYVpUTN2RWmQNiWogX4mI5Mq~_Z2JD~;19gsK1MrsbEOzZdxSjhLgJkYrWY~;6J9Ydawrdo~_DbEd9fvC449D~;vyUUr.bps.a.2164594193812288.1073742324.1419631888308526/2164594627145578/?type=3&theater

(3pt contest podium: 1/Yang, 2/Vasilevich, 3/Zheng)

Belarus inexplicably didn’t manage to start any of their games on the right foot, waiting for the 2nd half to somehow come alive. Repeatedly they doubled their 1st half points in the Q3 only but not before trailing by double digits beforehand! PG Yuliana Vasilevich (11,3ppg-3,3apg + 3pt contest runner-up) and PF/C Hana Haliakova (15ppg-11,3rpg) are their key players but will not suffice for their team to make a long run on home soil. Start of games, poor shooting efficiency and turnovers will be BLR’s head coach main concerns next bmonth.

Poland had to wait until the last day of the tournament to get their first and only test when facing France. They managed to stay in the game during three quarters before eventually succombing to France’s depth, athleticism and Wadoux efficiency from the perimeter. While she was the U16 back-up PG last summer behing Weronika Hipp, Wiktoria Kuczynska (6ppg-3,6apg) brought her game to a new level this year and looks everything a PG should look like: great dishing, good control of the pace, confident on the court and strong defense. Part of the players who offer Poland an interesting core are sharpooter SG/SF Natalia Klimek (14,6ppg-50%FG3 on 9/18 in 3 games), PF Aleksansdra Ziemborska (10ppg-3rpg) and PF Lucja Grzekowicz (11ppg-4rpg).

 

Ireland that I couldn’t see live due to double headers in two venues and a mistake on the final day’s playing time will be happy with the great shape and impactfulness of Dayna Finn (19ppg-8reb) who was voted to the All-Tournament Team , but will also hope more players can follow her steps.

 

https://www.facebook.com/Mlaurylaurent/photos/ms.c.eJw9kNsNBDEMAjs6xU9w~;42d4l32d0RgYrfOms44CSLs5wsyccE4XtAnN4Hzgjp~_AeECiaC5tRKJvMAjBDj7hKVSApYVpUTN2RWmQNiWogX4mI5Mq~_Z2JD~;19gsK1MrsbEOzZdxSjhLgJkYrWY~;6J9Ydawrdo~_DbEd9fvC449D~;vyUUr.bps.a.2164594193812288.1073742324.1419631888308526/2164596780478696/?type=3&theater

June 21st

China 85 Belarus 69

Poland 83 Ireland 48

France 74 Belgium 60

 

June 22nd

Belgium 77 – China 71

Ireland 64 Argentina 68

France 85 Belarus 52

 

June 23rd

Belgium 87 Belarus 45

France 74 China 66

Argentina 23 Poland 67

 

June 24th

Ireland 71 – China 82

Argentina 51 Belgium 84

France 70 Poland 51

 

Final standings

1/ France

2/ Poland

3/ Belgium

4/ Argentina

5/ China

6/ Ireland

7/ Belarus

 

All-Tournament Team

Lisowa (BEL)

Wadoux (FRA)

Finn (IRL)

Grzekowicz (POL)

Wan (CHN)

 

MVP

Wan (CHN)

 

 

Photo credits : Laure Mahy (Shoot’Lo association)

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Born to Polish PE teachers/coaches parents, involvement with sport and basketball was never a question. Eastern attention to fundamentals, athleticism, discipline and hard work eventually met Western standards through his development in the French system. Now a former player with a passion for the women’s game going back for more than 25 years, he uses his knowledge to bring insights and perspective on women's basketball internationally - with a strong emphasis on Europe and player development.

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