Les Bleues will not play the final for the first time since 2011 following their defeat against Belgium (67-63) on Saturday. They will play against Hungary on Sunday for the bronze medal.
This time, Ljubljana will not have smiled at French basketball. Ten years after the first and only European coronation of the Blues of Tony Parker, history will remember that it is in the same place, in the Slovenian capital, that the French women’s team saw its crazy series come to an end. Defeated by Belgium (67-63) in the semi-finals on Saturday June 24, the French will not play the Eurobasket final for the first time since 2011. They will face Hungary on Sunday to win the bronze medal while that the Belgians will challenge Spain for the gold.
TERRIBLE AFTER SUCH A FIGHT. THAT IS HARD. LES BLEUES WILL PLAY BRONZE TOMORROW#PassionatelyBlue #BELFRA pic.twitter.com/HTW7XVH3FU
– French basketball teams (@FRABasketball) June 24, 2023
Vice-champions of Europe in the last five editions, the Tricolores have not succeeded in hindering the immaculate course of the Belgians until the final, the first of an international competition. A just reward in view of their constant progress materialized by two bronze medals in the last three European competitions.
Vanloo – Meesseman, winning duo
Carried by a fabulous and never resigned public, the French team almost carried out the perfect hold-up. Still trailing by ten points less than five minutes from the gong (53-63, 36′), they twice had the chance to equalize in the last minute. But two stray balls at the worst time put an end to Ljubljana’s possible miracle. On the free throw line, Julie German (10 points) then condemned the Blues definitively.
The Belgian Cats – as they call themselves – thought they had created a definitive gap just before the break. The rain fell from long distance, carried by a euphoric Julie Vanloo (18 points), to inflict a fatal 13-1 in two minutes (from 23-28, 16 ‘, to 24-41, 18’). Les Bleues were knocked out.
Their very start to the game had however been up to the challenge, in aggressiveness and intensity. Before Emma Meesseman (24 points), arguably the best player in the competition, scored 12 of her team’s first 14 points. In addition to the battle lost on the rebound, his vista continually penalized the defensive choices of Jean-Aimé Toupane to widen a first gap (8-18, 10 ‘).
Gruda, in vain
The Tricolores have come from too far to hope to win the bet despite a good performance from Sandrine Gruda (17 points) and Alexia Chartereau (13 points), who celebrated her 100th selection tonight.
Although present at the warm-up, Iliana Rupert did not walk the floor, still handicapped by her right shoulder, compressed by a bandage. His absence inevitably weighed as the Belgian domestic sector is dominant, but it took much more to dethrone the team of Frenchman Rachid Meziane, driven by a real collective force. Les Bleues have one last chance not to leave empty-handed on Sunday against Hungary, with a potential bronze medal at stake.