The Portuguese women’s basketball team bounced back from a tough loss to Serbia, winning 77-86 in their second matchup. This victory wrapped up a two-week road trip that started with two games against Slovenia.
Carolina Rodrigues and Josephine Filipe led the team with 21 and 15 points, respectively. Coach Ricardo Vasconcelos was pleased with the win, noting that his team didn’t let Serbia get too far ahead early on.
This win comes after Serbia beat Portugal 57-40 in February, securing Portugal’s spot in the EuroBasket tournament. Vasconcelos said the team’s two-week trip was “very positive” and that they’d learned a lot from their four friendly games.
Assessing the team’s progress
Vasconcelos explained that these games helped him see which strategies work best for the team and which players can handle different roles. He believes this experience will help them prepare for the EuroBasket tournament.
The team returns home to play in a tournament in Viana do Castelo, facing Spain on June 10 and Switzerland on June 12. After a final test on June 14, Vasconcelos will choose the 12 players who’ll represent Portugal in the EuroBasket tournament.
Looking ahead to the EuroBasket
Portugal will make its EuroBasket debut in Brno, Czech Republic, as part of Group C. They’ll face European champion Belgium on June 19, the host team on June 20, and Montenegro on June 22.