Montenegro Women’s Basketball Team Faces Injury Challenges Ahead of Euro Qualifiers

The Montenegro women’s basketball team is gearing up for the Eurobasket qualifiers, but the squad faces serious challenges due to injuries. Head coach Jelena Škerović announced a preliminary roster for the upcoming matches scheduled for March, which includes three crucial games against Ukraine, Azerbaijan, and Bulgaria. Notably absent from the list is playmaker Sofija Živaljević, who will miss the action due to injury.

The team will convene on March 8, 2024, in Riga, where Ukraine will host the qualifiers. Montenegro’s first match is set for March 11, 2024, against the Ukrainian team, marking an essential step in the qualification process.

Despite the challenges, the roster includes key players such as Dragana Živković and Jovana Savković, although both are currently sidelined due to injuries. Živković, who plays for CS Rapid București, suffered an ankle injury during the quarter-finals of the Romanian playoffs on February 27, managing to play only two minutes. Meanwhile, Savković has been dealing with a back injury for a month and was unable to participate in the recent final of the Montenegro Cup.

Montenegro’s squad for the upcoming qualifiers includes:

– Marija Leković – Estepona (Spain)
– Bojana Kovacević – Hapoel Petah Tikva (Israel)
– Dragana Živković – CS Rapid București (Romania)
– Maja Bigović – Darazsak (Hungary)
– Sanja Aksam – Crvena zvezda (Serbia)
– Natasha Mack – Phoenix (USA)
– Andrea Glomazić – Isla Bonita (Spain)
– Zorana Radonjić – Budućnost Bemax (Montenegro)
– Ksenija Šćepanović – Budućnost Bemax (Montenegro)
– Jovana Savković – Budućnost Bemax (Montenegro)
– Nikolina Ilić – Budućnost Bemax (Montenegro)
– Janja Dragišić – Budućnost Bemax (Montenegro)
– Marija Đuranović – Ragusa Dubrovnik (Croatia)
– Milena Bigović – Budućnost Bemax (Montenegro)
– Marija Baošić – Budućnost Bemax (Montenegro)

In the first qualification window, Montenegro secured a home loss against Ukraine (71-65), achieved a significant away victory over Azerbaijan (104-62), and narrowly lost to Bulgaria (66-62). They currently sit third in Group E, trailing Bulgaria (3-0) and Ukraine (2-1), while Azerbaijan remains winless at 0-3.

Only the top two teams from each group, along with the three best third-placed teams across all seven groups, will qualify for the next stage. Following the match in Riga, Montenegro will host Azerbaijan on March 14 and Bulgaria on March 17 in Bar. The upcoming games are critical for Montenegro’s aspirations to advance in the Eurobasket tournament.