On Monday, the Israel Basketball Association (IBBA) launched Team Israel’s campaign for the 2023 Women’s EuroBasket, which begins on June 15, with a press conference at Shlomo Group Arena in Tel Aviv. The group stages of the tournament will take place in Tel Aviv and in Ljubljana, Slovenia, with Israel scheduled to play its Group B games in front of its home crowd against Belgium (Thursday June 15 at 18:00 IDT / 11:00 EST), Italy (Friday June 16 at 15:30 IDT / 8:30 EDT) and the Czech Republic (Sunday June 18 at 18:00 IDT / 11:00 EDT).

“It’s exciting to be here,” Ornit Schwartz, the Chairperson of the Women’s Committee of the IBBA, said of the thrill of being about to bring the spectacle to Israel. The IBBA is making and has made a lot of efforts in order to take women’s basketball and bring it to the community. We want to create a big buzz around women’s, girl’s and female youth’s basketball.

“The goal is that every girl can great of playing at the highest levels. Every girl is able to dream of playing in the EuroBasket. I want to wish them all the best of luck and see the stadium filled. There is no better show for watching Team Israel’s female basketballers. This tournament is an experience. As a parent, this is what I would want my children to experience. It’s what the players are representing. We hope and intend to get as far as possible to give girls this dream.”

From the team itself, coach Sharon Druker and captain Eden Rotberg (Elitzur Ramla) spoke.

“Our biggest goal is to play as we should,” Druker said. “The IBBA, together with me and everyone who is involved in women’s basketball, have tried over the last year and a half to put forward the best team for the EuroBasket.”

“Every player, her dream is to play in the EuroBasket,” Rotberg said. “We are working very hard. We are all engaged and finishing our training sessions with our tongues out. We have great staff preparing us well.”

In addition to Rotberg, the 16-woman squad presented yesterday – which will be reduced to 12 by the start of the tournament – includes Daniel Raber (Elitzur Holon), Yarden Garzon (Indiana Hoosiers), Lior Garzon (Oklahoma State), Alyssa Baron (Elitzur Ramla), Alex Cohen (Maccabi Bnot Ashdod), Jennie Simms (Phoenix Mercury – who will only be joining the team in June), Eden Zipel (Hapoel Rishon LeZion), Gili Eisner (Maccabi Haifa), Daniel Karash (A.S. Ramat Hasharon), Jennifer Fleischer (Elitzur Ramla), Tal Sahar (Maccabi Bnot Ashdod), Tslil Vaturi (Maccabi Ironi Ramat Gan), May Revahe (Maccabi Haifa), Emmi Rinat (Rhode Island) and Hila Karsh (Hapoel Rishon LeZion).

Israel will prepare for the tournament with warmup games against other tournament participants, including away to Slovakia (May 25 and May 27) and Greece (May 31) and home to Germany (June 4 and June 5).

“We have five practice games, against opponents from the EuroBasket,” Druker said. “It’s important to play at home so that the girls will get used to what will be and therefore, for example, the games against Germany at the beginning of June – that is also a simulation for the EuroBasket.”

“We are working very hard and we have another full month to prepare and we will do everything we can,” Rotberg promised. “It’s important for us that a large crowd comes. It’s a crazy experience.”

In addition to Israel’s Group B, Group A, which includes Montenegro, Greece, Slovakia and Hungary, will also be playing in Tel Aviv.

“The Tel Aviv-Jaffa Municipality is proud to host the EuroBasket,” Liran Liani, Head of Events in the Sports Branch of the Tel Aviv-Jaffa Municipality, said. “In June some of the best female basketballers in Europe and in Israel will be playing on the Shlomo Group Arena court – a great time for the people in the city and in Israel to be exposed to the important branch that is making huge strides.”

Tickets for the EuroBasket games are on sale now at http://womenseurobasket2023.co.il, at an affordable price of 50 Shekels per game.