While most WNBA players ready themselves for the stretch run when playoff hopes
are either solidified or crushed, some of the league’s top European talents have
taken a leave of absence from their squads. EuroBasket Women 2017 is set to
start June 16 in the Czech Republic.
A total of six current WNBA players will each be playing for a different country
in the tournament, that could go as far as June 25, if her team reaches the
Championship round. Here are how the six are fairing thus far.
Sancho Lyttle – Atlanta Dream/Spain
Lyttle and the Spanish national team find themselves in Group A alongside
Hungary, Ukraine, and host nation the Czech Republic.
Lyttle, a 6’4″ forward, was starting to find her stride for the Dream before
departing for EuroBasket. Lyttle will be looked upon to carry a lot of the
scoring load if Spain hopes to advance.
Courtney Vandersloot – Chicago Sky/Hungary
Vandersloot is a compact point guard who plays the position as a true floor
general. At 28 years old Vandersloot has played in a number of big games over
the course of her career and will be looked upon to play the experienced veteran
role for Hungary.
Hungary’s first matchup in EuroBasket play is against host nation, the Czech
Republic, so they will be tested right from the start. The team will rely on
Vandersloot to help steady the ship and be as productive a scorer as she is a
distributor.
Alex Bentley – Connecticut Sun/Belarus
Belarus got a gift from the basketball gods when Alex Bentley was given
permission to represent the team this summer in the Czech Republic. A mainstay
with the Sun for the past three seasons, Bentley was in the midst of another
productive start in Connecticut before being drawn away to her EuroBasket
duties.
Bentley is a shifty guard who can stuff the stat sheet if need be and she’s done
so on numerous occasions for the Sun. Representing Belarus in Group B means she
will face newly formed Slovak Republic her first game and immediately from the
jump will be the go-to scoring threat for the squad.
Epiphanny Prince – New York Liberty/Russia
Prince had just taken over for the injured Brittany Boyd, filling in for her as
a de facto point guard, before departing for EuroBasket. She is having a stellar
season for the Liberty with 15.8 points and 3.8 assists per game.
Prince has dual citizenship, and the dynamic guard has played for Russian club
Dynamo Kursk since 2012. Alongside reigning WNBA MVP Nneka Ogwumike, Prince
helped Dynamo Kursk win the EuroLeague title this past season.
Kia Vaughn – New York Liberty/Czech Republic
Like Prince, Vaughn has citizenship in the nation she will be representing in
this tournament. In the WNBA offseason, Vaughn plays for USK Praha in the Czech
Republic, where she led her team to the league title this past year.
Vaughn and the host nation open against the Ukraine on June 16, and will face
Hungary and Spain in the following days.
Emma Meesseman – Washington Mystics/Belgium
Coming off a career season with the Mystics, Meesseman will try to lead her team
to glory as Belgium makes its first EuroBasket appearance in 10 years. The
highest Belgium has finished in this tournament is sixth place, which was
accomplished back in 2003.
Meesseman’s squad will play in a group with Latvia, Montenegro and Russia,
opening against Montenegro on June 16. If this past WNBA season was any
indication, the Mystics forward could be one of the stars of the tournament.
Meesseman connected on 45 percent of her three-pointers in 2016 – best in the
league among players with more than 30 attempts – and ranked eighth in Player
Efficiency Rating.
