Reportage
The German women’s basketball team’s defeat in the quarter-finals of the Olympic Games against hosts France was as bitter as it was deserved. But the great sadness in the shaking Bercy Arena was also mixed with a great deal of pride in what had been achieved and a kind of spirit of optimism.
At the end, the German basketball players around Satou Sabally desperately needed a big hug. It was obviously good that it came from three gold medal winners who knew exactly what was going on in the players’ minds. The 3×3 Olympic champions Svenja Brunckhorst, Sonja Greinacher and Marie Reichert supported their teammates on the court, as did NBA legend Dirk Nowitzki.
When the deserved 71:84 defeat in the quarter-finals against the frenetically cheered and strong hosts was sealed, Brunckhorst and Co. embraced the German team while the French madness raged around them once again.
I am simply proud of how far we have come and how German basketball has grown.
Biggest success since European Championship bronze in 1997
There were tearful scenes, but also some that symbolized the new strength of German women’s basketball. Gold in the 3×3 and a great five-on-five tournament indoors. Reaching the quarterfinals at the Olympic premiere can be considered the greatest success of German women’s basketball since the European Championship bronze in 1997.
Strong tournament with victories against Belgium and Japan
An exit in the group phase would have been “normal” given the strong opponents. But then the DBB women got off to a dream start with victories against European champions Belgium and Japan, before being hit by gold favorites USA.
These are all warriors.
National coach Lisa Thomaidis
Satou Sabally, who didn’t have a good day against the hosts and Olympic bronze medalists from Tokyo, was able to see the positives despite moist eyes and great disappointment in the catacombs of the still shaking Bercy Arena. “I’m just proud of how far we’ve come and how German basketball has grown,” said the WNBA professional player from the Dallas Wings.
“Fantastic achievement for these women and this team”
Lisa Thomaidis also had no shortage of praise for her team. “Nobody expected us at the Olympic Games and we made it to the quarter-finals. That is a fantastic achievement for these women and this team,” said the national coach, who recalled that the team had only been able to complete one training session due to injury concerns and that some of them were injured on the field. “They are all warriors.”
Sabally “just sad”
Satou Sabally was out for months after a shoulder operation, then had to sit out due to illness and only made her comeback after a long break in the friendly against the USA in London. She only managed ten points against France and was “just sad that I couldn’t help my team”.
Gülich: “Individually we have everything”
Becoming independent of individual class is what this team still lacks in order to be able to compete on the big stage against such an opponent and 12,000 fans.
“Individually we have everything, but we have to bring it all together consistently,” said Marie Gülich, whose glassy eyes nevertheless radiated confidence. “We can take a lot with us from Paris. The way we played the first two games shows how much talent we have.”
“We hope this was just the beginning”
In any case, their coach left the hall with a smile on her face. “We hope that this is just the beginning for this team,” said Thomaidis.
The chances are good that her team may no longer need comforting hugs at the 2025 European Championships, with a preliminary group in Hamburg and the 2026 World Cup at home in Berlin.
