First All-Latvian Final in Women's Series: Latvia Loses to Miščenko's 'Rapid'
Latvia's women's 3x3 basketball team lost 9:16 to Rapid Bucharest in the final of a Women's Series event in Cáceres, marking the first time two teams with Latvian players met in the final.
The Latvian women's 3x3 basketball national team—Ketija Vihmane, Digna Strautmane, Ieva Korzāne, and Paula Mauriņa—lost 9:16 to Rapid Bucharest in the final of the Women's Series event in Cáceres on Friday, July 10. Rapid's roster included Latvian player Marta Miščenko. This was the first time in the series that two teams featuring at least one Latvian player faced off in the final.
Latvia entered the tournament as the fifth seed. In group play, they lost to Slovenia (11:15) but bounced back to defeat Italy in overtime (18:17, with both extra-time baskets by Ketija Vihmane), finishing second in Group D to advance to the quarterfinals.
In the quarterfinals, Latvia beat Lithuania (Kamile Nacickaite van der Horsta, Monika Grigaļauskīte, Justina Miknaite, Audrone Zdanevičūte) 14:11. Ieva Korzāne scored five points, Digna Strautmane four, Paula Mauriņa three, and Ketija Vihmane two.
The semifinal saw Latvia defeat Azerbaijan-funded 'Neftchi SOCAR' (Nevena Vučkoviča, Arika Carter, Alexandra Mollenhauer, Aoi Katsura) 16:13. Strautmane and Vihmane each contributed five points, Korzāne two, and Mauriņa one.
In the final, Rapid (Marta Miščenko, Hortense Limouzine, Martina Petrenaite, Ainhoa Gervassini) proved too strong. Vihmane led Latvia with four points, Mauriņa added three, and Strautmane two. For the winners, Miščenko recorded four points and seven rebounds. Latvia finished as runners-up in the event.
