Les Bleues face Belgium this Saturday (8:45 p.m.) for a place in the final. The opportunity for five BLMA players to meet.
Two rooms, two atmospheres. If Belgium and France meet in the semi-finals this Saturday evening (8:45 p.m.), the trajectories of the two neighboring countries have little to do with each other.
Between a sluggish France, stammering its basketball in the first round (three victories all the same) and a flamboyant Belgium with three successes of more than 40 points, the gap seemed too great at the end of the group stage.
However, the awakening of the Blue in the quarter-finals, against an overwhelmed Montenegro (89-46) seems to have reshuffled the cards and restored some confidence to the daughters of coach Jean-Aimé Toupane.
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In particular Marième Badiane, in difficulty at the start of Eurobasket, who was able to show all her offensive qualities, and signed her best match for the national team with 20 points and 7 rebounds.
⚔️ DUEL FRANCO-BELGE IN 1/2! ????
5 BLMA players.
2 teams.
Only 1 place in the final.#BLMA #GoGazelles?⚪️ #EuroBasketWomen pic.twitter.com/k96t523Tfa— BLMA (@BasketLMA) June 23, 2023
With “Badou”, the entire interior tricolor sector has regained its colours. Ideal moment, to avoid dark thoughts, to be in the red, or to laugh yellow at the end of this semi-final against the Belgian Cats.
These were scratched in the quarter-finals, leaving Serbia, reigning European champion, only eyes to cry (93-53).
“There will be no gifts”
Another recital for Rachid Meziane’s troupe, who headed BLMA during the 2017-2018 season. Emma Meesseman, reigning Euroleague MVP, signing the first triple double in Eurobasket history, Julie Allemand distributing the caviars (10.3 assists per game) and the doublet Julie Vanloo-Kyara Linskens, also an accomplice on European courts than in the sports hall of Lattes: Belgium seems armed to offer itself a first European final in its history after two bronze medals in 2017 and 2021. The two Flemish Gazelles will find their friends from Lattes-Montpellier, in a match at the top.
A hug, between two workouts. “I’m so happy to see you, I can’t wait to be back in August”, the words of BLMA captain Romane Bernies, surprise guest of this Eurobasket in the blue ranks, to her Belgian club teammates, show the bonds that unite the Gazelles, despite the different colors.
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“We hope to find them, that would mean that we would go far in the competition, explained “Romy” before the start of the competition. It would be weird, there we would be adversaries and that would be something else. Her teammate Marième Badiane added: “We know that we will meet at some point and that we will have to win the match. There will be no gifts.”
Moving speech from Migna during the presentation of Romy’s jersey?
? @FRABasketball #BLMA #GoGazelles?⚪️ | @Lokossoo @R0MY4 pic.twitter.com/IU6wLAsz5C
— BLMA (@BasketLMA) June 15, 2023
The energy of Romane Berniès, the drive of Migna Touré, the regularity of Marième Badiane, the skill of Julie Vanloo or the power of Kyara Linskens, which of her aspects will tip the match? It doesn’t matter, Saturday evening, Gazelles will cry, and others will sing.
