Israel’s women’s under-20 basketball team will leave on Monday for Slovakia for four warm-up games, then travel back to Israel before heading to the European Championship. The team will play Slovakia twice and Serbia twice in preparation for the tournament, which begins on July 4 in Klaipeda, Lithuania. Israel will compete in Division A and has been drawn into a group with Spain, Croatia and host Lithuania.
The coaching staff announced a 12-player roster for the preparation games and the championship. The squad includes Maya Elmalih, Li Teichman, Ayelet Oran, Maayan Cohen, Gal Raviv, Neta Meisher, Ariel Solomon, Mai Biko, Noa Magad, Maya Zilbershlag, Naomi Cohen-Mintz and Tehila Cohen. The staff is led by head coach Tal Natan, with Omri Tzirlin as assistant coach, Shani Friedman in scouting, Kenant Haile in strength and conditioning, Michal Neuberger Nisim as physiotherapist, and Noa Rakanti as team manager.
Natan said he was excited to lead the team again and thanked the basketball federation leadership and professional committee. He said the four friendly games would provide an early test of the team’s preparation. Referring to Israel’s security situation, he said the players understand the value of the symbol, the flag and their Israeli identity, adding that “we will bring the Israeli spiciness into our soup.”
He also praised the squad’s continuity from last summer, saying familiarity improves chemistry and that the players know each other’s tendencies. Natan described the group as very good and talented, and singled out Raviv as a special, dominant player who elevates those around her. He said the team’s strength is its unity and collective play, and warned that in the tournament Israel will face top-level opponents such as Germany, Spain, Italy and Hungary.
