Germany is set to host the Women’s Basketball World Cup from September 4 to 13. In recent preparatory matches in Villeurbanne, the team showcased its strength with dominant victories over South Korea (76-49), the Philippines (113-80), and Colombia (78-57). Led by Leonie Fiebich, who contributed 15 points and 8 assists, they also demonstrated resilience, finding solutions and fighting back to secure a win against Nigeria (73-81) after trailing.
“This victory is emotionally very important for our team because this group needed to prove itself,” national coach Olaf Lange remarked.
However, during these Villeurbanne games, Germany had to contend with the absence of key players such as Satou Sabally, Marie Gülich, and Luisa Geiselsöder, all currently injured. This partly explains their substantial loss to France (63-85), indicating that the German squad is not yet competitive against the world’s top teams.
Olaf Lange stated, “I wanted to see how we performed against teams of this caliber, to identify our weaknesses and areas for improvement.” He added, “I’m drawing valuable lessons from it.” While acknowledging the obvious, “we had no chance,” he emphasized the progress made: “Before, there were moments when we stopped playing. It’s different now; we are mentally stronger.”
With over three decades of coaching experience, having previously led the German women’s national team twice, Olaf Lange has introduced innovative methods. Drawing inspiration from the American model, he favors playing without fixed positions, as revealed by player Frieda Bühner in an interview with SZ. This strategy promotes fluid play, rapid ball movement, and a multitude of offensive options. When executed flawlessly, it’s elegant; however, it can appear chaotic if lacking cohesion.
Leonie Fiebich describes her coach: “He has a good rapport with the girls, but he is also very demanding. He knows exactly what he wants and gives clear instructions. Despite this, he is easy to approach; he is very accessible.”
With the World Cup draw scheduled for April 21, the prevailing question in Germany is whether the women’s national team can secure a podium finish in Berlin. The answer seems evident: they are among the strong outsiders.
