KIEV (EuroBasket Women 2015) – Ukraine have been dealt a blow ahead of EuroBasket Women 2015 after revealing a 25-strong candidate list without the experience and quality of one of their major operators in the shape of Oleksandra Kurasova.
The versatile forward who averaged double digits in points last year during qualification was the second top scorer on the team and that was also the case at EuroBasket Women 2013 in France.
She has not been playing club basketball of late due to family reasons and this has also ruled the former EuroLeague Women All-Star out of competing next month.
At least Ukraine will be able to call upon the stellar talent of Alina Iagupova who headlines the pool of players who are available – having led her team with a majestic campaign last year when she dominated in points (19.2), rebounds (5.8), assists (3.8) and steals (2.7).
Head coach Vadim Czeczuro will also possibly be able to call upon the experience and talent of players such as such as Valeriya Berezhynska and Viktoria Mircheva who both compete in the highly rated French League (LFB).
Meanwhile there is also a place in the squad for exciting teenage talent Vita Gorobets, who has been a standout figure at youth level for her country.
Ukraine will play in Timisoara where they will face Group A opponents Czech Republic, France, Montenegro and co-hosts Romania.
Ukraine preliminary roster for EuroBasket Women 2015: Tetyana Antoniuk, Valeriya Berezhynska, Arina Bilotserkivska, Anastasiya Bogdanova, Taisiia Bovykina, Oleksandra Chek, Katerina Dorogobuzova, Olga Dubrovina, Vita Gorobets, Alina Iagupova, Oleksandra Khomenchuk, Oksana Kisilova, Kateryna Kovalyova, Olesia Malashenko, Krystyna Matsko, Olga Maznichenko, Viktoria Mircheva, Kateryna Rymarenko, Olena Samburska, Viktoria Shmatova, Nataliya Skorbatyuk, Ievgeniia Spitkovska, Miriam Uro-Nile, Ganna Zarytska, Darya Zavidna.
