The Azerbaijan women’s 3x3 basketball team achieved a historic result at the European Championship in Copenhagen, winning silver medals.
In the final, they lost to the Netherlands 16-21, but throughout the tournament they displayed strong performances, defeating several decorated opponents. Erika Carter, who was named to the tournament’s all-star team, shared her impressions of the games with Idman.biz.
How does it feel to become European vice-champions?
At every competition, we try to give our best and show quality basketball. We prepared well, and it’s very rewarding to know we won medals and reached the final. This is a big achievement, it inspires us. We will continue moving forward step by step, aiming to one day win the European Championship title.
In Copenhagen, the team defeated two past European champions – France and Spain. Surely, these victories boost your confidence?
We played against very strong teams and went onto the court determined to win each match. The game against France opened our championship, and the first match is always particularly tense, it’s about feeling the competitive rhythm. By the semifinal against Spain, we were in full game mode. Whoever our opponent was, we played to win, while also respecting them – it couldn’t be any other way.
You were named to the tournament’s symbolic all-star team. How do you evaluate your own performance?
Basketball is a team sport. Individual stats are important, but the team result is paramount. Everyone on the court is a leader. For example, Brianna Fraser was the second-highest scorer with 41 points. Every player contributed significantly to this success – Alexandra Mollenhauer and Dina Ulyanova included. We are a team. Being named to the all-star team is nice, but the collective achievement is even more important.
This year, the team won two stages of the World Series, and the final tournament is coming soon. With the European Championship silver, can we say the team has found stability this season?
In my opinion, we are playing well. The results show that the team is seriously prepared. I have a lot of faith in the girls. No matter where we play, we fight until the last second. Everything takes time, and we aim to progress step by step while setting high goals.
In five days, the team will compete in the World Series final. What are your expectations for Shanghai?
Whoever our opponents are, I always believe in the strength of our team. We will face challenging and interesting matches against strong rivals. After our success at the European Championship, we head to China with even greater motivation.
Zaki Feyzullayev
Idman.biz
