GB Women pre-Eurobasket Women squad named

Great Britain Women’s head coach Damien Jennings has named his preliminary squad as they prepare for the upcoming Eurobasket Women event in France.

They will play Germany, Greece and Israel from the 25-27^th May in an invitational tournament at Guildford’s Surrey Sports Park.

The lineup includes a blend of experience from players in the 2012 Olympic squad as well as some fresh young talent, all of whom will gather for the first time since London in training camp at Surrey Sports Park.

Five of GB’s best youth players have been selected for the first time specifically with an eye to 2020, including Ella Clark, Renee Busch, Christina Gaskin,

Cheridene Green and Harriet Ottewill-Soulsby. In another first, two of these players, Clark and Gaskin, are graduates from the Regional Institute of Basketball at Barking Abbey and are among the seven Future aged players named in the squad.

Jo Leedham, who stepped up for GB and shone during the London Games, has once again been selected in the preliminary squad. During the Olympic campaign, Leedham was joint top in points per game with an impressive 16.2 average earning her nomination for ‘British Basketball’s Athlete of the Year’. At her current side, Bourges Basket she helped the team secure third place in the Euroleague Women Final Eight with some impressive offensive rebounding.

The squad will assemble on 4 May 2013 to commence their preparations for the summer ahead where they face a tough Eurobasket challenge against Olympic silver medallists, France, Serbia and Latvia for their first round games at the tournament.

GB women’s head coach, Damian Jennings commented on his selection: “The EuroBasket creates a great test for us post Olympics and we have been able to select a real blend of experience and youthful talent.

“With the early timing of Eurobasket there will always be challenges but all the GB performance staff are looking forward to working with the selected squad and preparing for this great summer ahead.”

Full details of the 20 players in the preliminary squad are: