French Women’s Basketball Team Welcomes Three Players Ahead of Euro Championship

Reims, France – The French Basketball Federation (FFBB) announced on Friday that three players currently playing in the Women’s National Basketball Association (WNBA) will join the French women’s national team for their preparation for the Euro Championship.

The players are Leïla Lacan, Marième Badiane, and Janelle Salaün. Lacan, who plays for Connecticut, will join the team on May 28 during a training camp in Brest. Badiane, a player from Minnesota, is set to arrive on June 8, and Salaün from Golden State will join on June 12. This comes just days before the Euro Championship, taking place from June 18 to 29.

While the late arrival of these players could pose challenges in integrating them into team strategies, it is a welcome relief for the coaching staff, as the team was previously missing key players from the WNBA.

Carla Leïte from Golden State and Marine Johannès from New York have opted out of the Euro to focus on their WNBA seasons, adding to the team’s current challenges. The incoming players will bolster a squad that includes Olympic vice-champions like Iliana Rupert and captain Valériane Ayayi.

The French team will play their first preparatory match on Sunday against Turkey in Reims, followed by games on June 3 and 4 against Belgium in Brest. The tournament begins for the French team on June 18 against Turkey in Piraeus, Greece, as they aim for their first European title since 2009.