The Azerbaijani women’s 3x3 basketball team had a stellar first half of September. Following their silver medal at the European Championship in Copenhagen, they also claimed silver at the World Series final tournament in Shanghai. Idman.biz spoke with the team’s top scorer, Briana Fraser, about these achievements.
The team debuted in the World Series final and immediately won silver. What was the motivation for this tournament after the success at the European Championship?
We had already played at the World Series final stage two years ago. Back then, our current lineup, including Arika Carter, Alexandra Mollenhauer, Dina Ulyanova, and myself, represented Neftchi in Ulaanbaatar. We reached the quarterfinals, and now we have again made it to the season final as a national team and won silver. I’m very happy with this achievement. The team prepared well and demonstrated that we are among the leaders not only in Europe but also in the world.
In Shanghai, the competition was fierce. Three matches, including the quarterfinal and semifinal, were won with just a two-point margin. Can it be said that mental toughness allowed you to reach the final?
We approached the tournament match by match and naturally wanted to win each one. After an initial loss to Canada, we beat the Netherlands U-25 and prepared for the final group game against Romania’s Rapid. Heavy rain delayed the schedule, and we played the match the next day. However, the delay didn’t affect our mindset, and the win allowed us to advance to the playoffs. The quarterfinal against the Mongolian “Ulaanbaatar Amazons” and the semifinal against the Netherlands required tactical precision, we followed the coach’s instructions, and reached the final.
It must have been satisfying to get revenge on the Dutch team after losing to them in the European Championship final?
In Copenhagen, we played well against them but lost by five points. We had a general understanding of the European champions’ game plan. In Shanghai, they finished first in their group and advanced directly to the semifinal. Our match was very intense, the fight lasted until the final seconds, and ultimately the victory was ours.
The team started the tournament against Canada and met them again in the final, losing both times. Any regrets that the decisive match didn’t go your way?
No matter who we face, I always believe in our team’s strength. Of course, we all wanted to win, and these matches showed us what still needs work. Canada became World League champions for the third time, and in the final they quickly built a lead with long-range shots. At some point, we narrowed the gap, but Canada controlled the final stretch. Reaching the final itself was a huge success for us, and the performance inspires us for the future.
You were the top scorer of the World Series final tournament with 54 points and also led in rebounds (31). Can it be said that your game, along with the team’s, reached a new level?
In basketball, team achievements come first. It’s gratifying that our team has achieved so much – we played in the World League final, the European Championship final, and previously won stages in Bucharest and Sumgayit. I’m happy to have contributed to the team’s results, but my teammates contributed equally. It’s nice to lead in statistics, but collective achievement is far more valuable.
Zaki Feyzullayev
Idman.biz
