Simon Dalton presents his prediction for the EuroBasket Women match.
Both Sweden and Great Britain opened their EuroBasket Women group stage campaigns with defeats, leaving them in a must-win situation. The loser of this encounter will face elimination from contention for a place in the knockout round.
Sweden (women)
Expectations were relatively low for Sweden heading into the tournament. Their performances in pre-tournament friendlies failed to inspire, and a 76:89 loss to Germany in their opener came as no surprise. The team lacks players capable of individually swinging games, and that was clear against Germany: Sweden shot just 38.5% from the field and turned the ball over 11 times. Defensively, there are also significant concerns – opponents are enjoying too many open looks (50.8% opponent field-goal percentage) and the team committed 20 fouls in the game.
Great Britain (women)
Great Britain faced Spain, currently ranked fifth in the world, in their first group-stage match. Although the 70:85 scoreline suggests a comfortable defeat, there were encouraging signs. The team struggled in the first half but managed to win the second half 45:37. They also controlled the boards with a 38:26 advantage in rebounds, a factor that could be crucial against Sweden.
Sweden (women) vs Great Britain (women) Prediction
Great Britain boast a significantly stronger squad. A key figure is Temi Fagbenle of the Golden State Valkyries, who nearly recorded a double-double against Spain with 14 points and 8 rebounds. By contrast, Sweden were never seen as genuine playoff contenders, and there’s little to suggest an upset is on the cards.
