Montenegro Women’s Basketball Team Prepares for Azerbaijan Match

Montenegro’s women’s basketball team embarked on their journey to Baku following a challenging match against Ukraine. After flying from Podgorica, they arrived in Istanbul before continuing to the capital of Azerbaijan, where they conducted a training session ahead of their upcoming game. Tomorrow, they will face Azerbaijan, a team currently seen as the underdog in Group H, during the second round of the EuroBasket qualification series.

Azerbaijan started this qualification cycle with a heavy defeat at home to Bulgaria, losing by an astonishing 93 points. With a history of struggling to compete at this level, Azerbaijan’s chances of advancing in the tournament are slim. In contrast, Montenegro aims to secure their first victory after suffering a loss against Ukraine in their previous match.

Maja Bigović, the center for Montenegro, remarked on the team’s arduous journey, stating, “The trip was long and tiring, but we managed to train and prepare as best we could for the match.” The new qualification system introduced by FIBA allows lower-ranked teams like Azerbaijan to participate, but it is evident that they lag significantly behind their competitors in terms of skill and experience.

With Azerbaijan regarded as the weakest team in the group, Montenegro will focus on honing their performance after the disappointing home defeat. Bigović emphasized their intention to play at their best and establish a rhythm following the setback against Ukraine.

“Against Azerbaijan, we aim to showcase our strengths, but we remain focused on the upcoming match against Bulgaria in Botevgrad on November 18. This game is crucial for our progression in the group,” she added. Montenegro’s team is acutely aware that their first encounter against Bulgaria will not come easy.

In their first match, Montenegro suffered due to a poor shooting performance, particularly from three-point range, where they only converted 3 out of 24 attempts. They also struggled against Ukraine’s 2-3 zone defense, which effectively stifled their offensive efforts.

“We fought hard and went for rebounds, but simply, our shooting just wasn’t there. In the second half, we made some poor decisions, but the experience of the Ukrainian players also played a role. We will review the video to identify our mistakes and use this match to prepare for more challenging opponents,” Bigović explained.

Following their game against Azerbaijan, Montenegro will travel to Sofia, and then to Botevgrad, where they will face Bulgaria, marking the end of the first qualification window. Last year, in the same location, the men’s team secured their spot in EuroBasket with a decisive victory. The women’s team hopes to replicate that success, as a win against Azerbaijan would significantly boost their morale after the initial defeat to Ukraine.