German women's basketball team secures quarter-finals at home European Championship

Germany's women's basketball team has achieved its minimum goal, advancing to the European Championship quarterfinals with a convincing victory against Great Britain. The team, led by WNBA pros Leonie Fiebich and Luisa Geiselsöder, won its final group match in Hamburg with a decisive 80-67 (48-32) and secured a ticket to the knockout round in Piraeus as group runner-up behind Spain.

There, the German team will face title contender Belgium on Wednesday. During the preseason, they suffered two decisive defeats against the Belgians. Fiebich and Geiselsöder were absent from both games, having been released by their WNBA clubs afterward. Against the hopeless Great Britain, who lost all three group games, Frieda Bühner was the top German scorer with 17 points.

Germany quickly pulled ahead 10-2 and was already 18 points ahead after the first quarter (26-8). The hosts extended their lead to 21 points in front of 3,414 spectators in the sold-out Inselpark Arena and were never in danger.

The clear superiority allowed national coach Lisa Thomaidis to give her two star players some rest. WNBA champion Fiebich played the full 40 minutes against Spain, while Geiselsöder only sat out for a brief moment.

The WNBA duo will be particularly important in Piraeus. Without the two sisters Satou and Nyara Sabally, who are playing in the USA, and the injured captain Marie Gülich, Germany will only have a chance against the strong Belgians if Fiebich and Geiselsöder bring their best performances to the court.

It was already clear against Spain that the squad lacks sufficient balance. As soon as the second half takes to the field, things will get tight against the top teams. By qualifying for the knockout rounds, the largely inexperienced German team now has the opportunity to gain valuable experience with a view to the World Cup on home soil in Berlin next year. The Sabally sisters also want to be there.