Great Britain hopes of reaching FIBA Women's EuroBasket 2019 receives major boost

The player, who recently stepped out in the Italian top flight and also signed a training contract last summer with the Los Angeles Sparks, will bring further quality to a roster that already includes EuroLeague Women standout Jo Leedham-Warner, reigning WNBA champion Temi Fagbenle and long-serving stalwarts such as Stef Collins, Rachael Vanderwal, Chantelle Handy and Azania Stewart.

More than half of the 16-player squad are drawn from the domestic Women's British Basketball League (WBBL).

Great Britain had an encouraging first window last November when they pipped Israel in a memorable 90-87 overtime thriller in Manchester, prior to almost upsetting FIBA Women's Basketball World Cup 2018 participants and Group favourites Greece - only just falling 61-59 on the road.

Coach Buceta and his players will be back on the road this time, with a double-header that could go a long way to shaping their hopes of making it to Latvia and Serbia next year at the showpiece event.

The team will congregate for a short preparation camp on 4 February and then will depart for Faro on 8 February, ahead of their clash against Portugal on Saturday 10 February at 9pm in Pavilhao.

They will then move on to Israel, who they will go up against on Wednesday 14 February at 6.30pm in Tel Aviv.

Great Britain squad for FIBA Women's EuroBasket 2019 Qualifiers

Dom Allen - Manchester Mystics
Mollie Campbell - Leicester Riders
Stef Collins - Cardiff Met Archers
Melita Emanuel-Carr - Unattached
Temi Fagbenle - CCC Polkowice (Poland) / Minnesota Lynx (USA)
Nicolette Fong Lyew Quee - Durham Palatinates
Chantelle Handy - Basket 90 Gdynia (Poland)
Georgia Jones - Manchester Mystics
Jo Leedham-Warner - ESBVA-LM (France)
Chantelle Pressley - Sevenoaks Suns
Siobhan Prior - Nottingham Wildcats
Samantha Roscoe - Manchester Mystics
Karlie Samuelson - Unattached
Eilidh Simpson - Cardiff Met Archers
Azania Stewart - TTT Riga (Latvia)
Rachael Vanderwal - Star Center Uni Ferrol (Spain)

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