International

Jul 23 2021

Ireland U20 women FIBA European Challengers catch-up

Martin Conroy and captain Ciara Byrne comment on tournament after returning home

Ireland’s under 20 women’s team recently returned from Sopron, Hungary, following the FIBA U20 Women’s European Challengers tournament, where they competed against Europe’s elite in Division A basketball and did the country proud in the process. First up was a game against tournament hosts Hungary in their Group B opener on July 12th and they proved to be stiff opposition, as Ireland lost 91-28. The team showed their battling qualities throughout, with Abigail Rafferty top scoring with seven points, against the side which would eventually finish top of Ireland’s group.

Their next encounter was against Israel and despite strong performances from Molly Moffitt and Abigail Rafferty, chipping in 15 points and 17 rebounds respectively, Israel beat Ireland 91-34.

Next for Martin Conroy’s side were Spain, who ran out a 94-29 victors on matchday three, with Ireland’s points scorers spread out - among them Lauren Darcy with six points, Kate Hickey with five and Eve Nealon and Erin Maguire finishing on four each. Ireland’s fourth game saw them put in arguably their best performance of the tournament, against Serbia. Mia Furlong was a standout for Ireland and contributed 12 points and shot 45.5% from the field, but ultimately Serbia got the better of Ireland, winning 74-50.

Ireland’s final game at the tournament was against another formidable opponent - Czech Republic. Despite another impressive performance from Seattle-born Molly Moffitt, the Czech team shooting 53.4% from the field, versus Ireland’s 33.8%, came out on top 115-60. With no domestic playing season, training restrictions due to Covid-19 limiting preparations, along with coming up against some of the best talent in the world at this level, this tournament was always sure to be a tough test for Ireland. Despite the challenges, the team put in excellent performances and showed a great deal of promise for the future.

We caught up with head coach Martin Conroy and captain Ciara Byrne after they returned home.

Martin, results may not have gone the way you would have liked for the team this week, but plenty of positives from the tournament. What are the main things you’ll take back from it?

"I suppose we have learned a lot about ourselves and how to deal with adversity in these situations. We learned that we had to set realistic goals and strive as hard as we could to achieve those goals. We learned how important it was to have a team and staff that bonded and stayed together through tough times. We learned that the pace of the game at this level is higher than anything we’ve experienced before and for us as a nation to compete at this level we have to make many changes to how we prepare our players for such tournaments. But the biggest thing I’ll take from it is how resilient we are as a group and how much pride we have in what we do. Progress in every game, getting better and better. "

When you consider there was no domestic basketball season for the players and limited training, how encouraged were you by the level of play from our players, considering they had to compete against players who had none of those restrictions?

"It wasn’t just the restrictions we were under that hurt us. Most if not all of the teams we played against had professional athletes in the ranks and also had a full season behind them. Most of the teams were in training camps, some for up to three months while playing lots of practice games, we had two practice games. When you see the progress our girls made through the tournament and see the level they got to in the last two games you can have nothing but admiration for them. An awesome fight against Serbia and scoring 60 points against the Czech Republic shows how awesome this group was. Allow them to have a full season playing and no restrictions on their practice or practice games and I honestly think you would see a much different outcome to all of the games we played."

How much will it stand to the players getting to play A Division basketball?

"There are eight of this squad underage again next year. They will now know what they will need to do to prepare for the Championship season next year. They’re gonna have to put in the hours away from practice individually to make themselves better which will make their team better. It’s different when you move up to U20’s and especially different when it’s U20’s “A”. The standard of players and athletes you come up against is phenomenal so it’s up to you to put in the hard graft to make sure you become better, stronger and fitter."

The team showed its battling never-say-die, attributes throughout the tournament, how proud did it make you feel seeing the girls give their all throughout?

"I’m sitting here now with a tear in my eye just thinking about it. Every single player was immensely impressive out there. They showed that they have pride in what they do and have a massive amount of pride in our country. Everything they did showed how much they cared for each other. Over the eight days there was not one single issue with them, they stayed together and they stayed strong for each other. Our coaching staff also had a huge amount to do with this. They instilled the belief in the team and were always there for every single player. I’ve been unbelievably lucky over the years to win a lot of stuff in this game but this team will remain in my heart as one of my favourite squads to have ever been privileged enough to coach. An absolute dream to coach, every single one of them."

Ciara, a great experience to play Division A basketball, what are the main things you’ve learned from the tournament?

"We have all learned so much from playing Division A basketball and we overcame many challenges during the tournament. It took a lot of resilience and team work to keep our spirits high and continue to play to our full potential, but each member of the team contributed both on and off the floor. We came across some great teams and players and we had to adapt our game to try play smarter. Physically we were never going to match their height and length so we worked on creating space and taking good shots. Overall we have all learned so much from competing at such a high level. We’ve not only learned from other teams and players but from one another. I am so thankful for the experience and to be able to do it with such an amazing group of girls and coaching staff made it even more enjoyable. "

How difficult was it going into competitive tournament action having not had game time for over a year?

"After not playing in over a year it was really difficult to go out and compete against some of the best teams in Europe. However, it was an experience of a lifetime and I’m grateful to have had the opportunity to be back playing competitively. I enjoyed every minute of playing and I look forward to getting back playing in Ireland next season."

Describe what it’s like as a player at a tournament in the Covid bubble - not being able to go beyond the hotel or court?:

"As a player in the Covid bubble it was hard at times but for the most part it was made enjoyable and entertaining by the incredible bunch of girls and coaching staff. Being restricted to the hotel can make the days seem long and draining but it allowed us to really come together and be a support for one another. Our only time out of the hotel was to the court for training or games but that only increased the excitement and energy we had to play. Overall it was a different experience to normal but we found a routine that worked for us and we made the most of every second we spent together."

You came up against the likes of Spain and Serbia, certainly giving Serbia a stern test too, I’m sure it has increased the players desire to get back there again competing against Europe’s best?

"Playing against the likes of Spain and Serbia is such a great experience. We learned a lot from them as players and we fought hard to match their intensity. Each and every one of us are 100% looking forward to getting back into a program next year and putting our learning outcomes into practice. Playing against some of Europe’s best enhanced our game as a team and as individuals and we look forward to getting back competing at that level."

Do you have a favourite moment or game from the tournament?

"Definitely our game against Serbia. We clicked as a team and played some great basketball. It was the most enjoyable game of the tournament and spirts were high throughout. The support we received from home was indescribable and we fed off the positivity we were receiving. The tournament as a whole was definitely a memorable experience and there are a lot of positives to take from it."