Qualifying for Women’s EuroBasket 2021 isn’t mission accomplished, Chema Buceta insists.
A nice interim objective to be ticked off the list, the Spaniard acknowledges. Victory over Belarus on Thursday (11.30am) in the Covid-secure bubble of Riga would suffice to send the 2019 semi-finalists onwards to the showcase of another major tournament in Spain and France this June.
Even in defeat, their two wins over Poland in this group might – just – be enough.
But change is a-coming. Despite missing out on the Tokyo Olympics effectively due to one maddeningly sub-par performance against South Korea in last spring’s qualifiers, UK Sport has brought the sport back into the funding fold, largely as a consequence of the women’s endeavours.