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The second edition of the U15 Wasquehal International U15 Tournament is in the books as one of the newest youth competitions in Europe enhanced its reputation a little further.

Based in the north-east of France in the suburbs of Lille and not that far from the Belgian border, it is a hotbed of women’s basketball. However this was not only about the locals, but also 16 teams from all over the Continent in what proved to be a beautifully eclectic and diverse mix of nations, clubs and players.

First off – I must congratulate the organizers of the competition because I am not sure I have been to a tournament which has had such a buzz around it at youth level. At least in terms of players having fun and so many kids watching other kids playing intently on the sidelines.

Two gyms hosted the (short – running clock until latter stages) games with four groups of four and the tournament also included a three-point shooting contest on the Saturday and then an All-Star Game on the Sunday night, with the medals being dished out on Monday afternoon.

 

Some of the players, but especially the clubs, I was very familiar with already through other BlueStar Media events – either those that I have attended myself or those which my esteemed colleague Pierre Ploszajski has attended.

Group A
CTC Wasquehal-ESBVA (France)
Brentwood Fire (Great Britain)
BS Riga/Ridzene (Latvia)
Bagira Kiev (Ukraine)

Group B
Dunkerque Malo (France)
Felix Zasavje (Slovenia)
TTP Riga (Latvia)
PP Neuville-En-Ferrain (France)

Group C
Marne-La-Vallee (France)
Mosir Bochnia (Poland)
Akademija Saule (Lithuania)
Ceske Budejovice (Czech Republic)

Group D
CTC Wasquehal-ESBVA 2 (France)
Apollo Amsterdam (Netherlands)
Team Franco-Belge (France/Belgium)
ZSM Marijampoles (Lithuania)

All Star Game – This was actually an amazing event at the end of the middle day (2 of 3) and while it went a little too late into the night, there was an amazing crowd and buzz as Team France took down Team Europe.

https://twitter.com/basketmedia365/status/1137830728371179520

 

Champions – It was Team Franco-Belge who were crowned champions of the event as they beat Kiev comfortably in the Final. It was ironic that it was a French player and a Belgian, who provided the 1-2 punch that delivered the silverware. Interestingly, the players only came together for this tournament and they gelled instantly. This side was set up especially for players who are friends and play either side of the nearby border.

I had questioned whether a lack of prep for a team thrown together and the subsequent success reflected poorly on the competition. But, I don’t think so, they had a bunch of players who maybe because of the situation, just kept things simple, used their fundamentals and really played well as a team, with a couple of standout players.

Runners-Up – Ukraine got game! Kiev were excellent and I thought they might win, but clearly ran out of steam completely. They had some seriously huge players, who, with some real intensive coaching could be serious prospects. They were just picked apart at the end of this tournament by the ball movement and simplicity of Franco-Belge.

MVP and All-Star Five – Solid choices! Only 1 player I would have replaced – an amazing natural playmaker from Wasquehal I was blown away by. Best lateral movement I have seen in any kid and excellent IQ.

Wider Observations      

Having 16 teams at this age level means a big gap in quality between the various clubs and even in shortened games, there were some crushing blowouts (not least 70-1 in one contest). That is, of course, the nature of women’s youth hoops in most cases, but it stood out more in WIT.

 

I would caveat that strongly by saying it was not about a lack of quality as good players were on show – it was just they were set alongside and against a bigger sea of less impressive players.

This tournament felt quite special because I have never seen so many teams and players who all stayed and watched so many games. It was the silver lining of the cloud that was playing more than once per day. The volume was high, even if the quality (compared to some other competitions) was arguably lower.

Overall, the friendly welcome and organisation was superb and those behind it should be immensely proud considering this was only the second edition. An immense amount of fun was had by all.

Those of you wanting more in-depth information on the actual players know what to do. I won’t stop reminding you – those days of lazy cut and paste and snatching a ‘cheat sheet’ to sell on…. are now long gone!

Keep it locked to @Basketmedia365

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Paul Nilsen lives and breathes women’s hoops. He’s is a freelance writer working for the sport’s world governing body FIBA where he pens a weekly ‘Women’s Basketball Worldwide Column’ - as well as providing daily content on major club competitions, international tournaments and the women’s youth game. He has an extensive network of contacts across the globe, including an array of elite play-callers and players. Also a qualified coach and referee, he is a big supporter of Blue Star Media and joined as a blogger during the fall of 2016.

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