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Ireland women's national basketball team

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This article is about the women's team. For the men's team, see Ireland men's national basketball team.

Ireland
FIBA ranking85 Decrease 4 (26 August 2024)[1]
Joined FIBA1947
FIBA zoneFIBA Europe
National federationBasketball Ireland
CoachJames Weldon
Nickname(s)Na cailíní i nglas
(The Girls in Green)
Olympic Games
AppearancesNone
World Cup
AppearancesNone
EuroBasket
AppearancesNone
Championship for Small Countries
Appearances7
MedalsSilver Silver: (1989, 1991, 1993, 2016, 2021)
Home jersey
Team colours
Home
Away jersey
Team colours
Away

The Ireland women's national basketball team represents Ireland in international women's basketball. The team is organised by Basketball Ireland, and play their home games at the National Basketball Arena in Tallaght. As of 2024, the team was ranked 80th in the FIBA Women's World Ranking.[2]

History

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A team representing Ireland participated in the 1980 FIBA World Olympic Qualifying Tournament for Women, but did not qualify.[3] As of 1989, the Ireland women's team was contesting the European Promotion Cup for Women, and placed second in the competition.[4]

In February 2010, during the Irish financial crisis, Basketball Ireland announced that it was €1.2m in debt and would deactivate its senior international squads to cut costs.[5] A team representing Ireland was reformed in 2013, when a "Premier League All Stars" team played Wales in a match to mark The Gathering Ireland 2013 festival.[6][7] Ireland also competed in 3x3 basketball at the 2014 Europe Championships and the 2015 European Games.

In late 2015, it was announced that the national team would again join official FIBA Europe competitions after accepting an invitation to play the 2016 FIBA Women's European Championship for Small Countries.[8] The Irish team came second in the 2016 event, after losing to Malta in the final.[9][10] An Irish team also entered the 2018 event (which took place in Cork) and placed sixth.[11][12]

Before a FIBA Women's EuroBasket 2025 qualifier, held in February 2024, in response to "inflammatory and wholly inaccurate accusations of anti-Semitism [..] published on official Israeli [Basketball] federation channels", members of the team "boycotted the usual pre-match pleasantries" and did not shake hands with the Israeli team.[13] A number of Irish team members also opted not to travel to the game,[13] which had been postponed from November 2023 and moved to Riga in Latvia due to the Israel–Hamas war.[14][15] Ireland lost the game by 30 points.[16]

Squad

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As of 2024 (EuroBasket Women 2025 qualifiers), the squad included:[17]

  • Sarah Hickey, WIT Wildcats
  • Kate Hickey, WIT Wildcats
  • Lauryn Homan, Brunell BC
  • Abigail Rafferty, DeSales University
  • Bridget Herlihy, Porta XI Ensino (Spain)
  • Annaliese Murphy, Glanmire
  • Grace Prenter, Trinity Meteors
  • Kara McCleane, University of Galway
  • Sorcha Tiernan, Liffey Celtics
  • Alexandra Mulligan, Ulster University Tigers
  • Amy Dooley, Glanmire
  • Aine O'Connor, Liffey Celtics

See also

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References

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  1. ^ "FIBA Ranking Presented by Nike". FIBA. 26 August 2024. Retrieved 26 August 2024.
  2. ^ "Weldon hails "incredible maturity" of players, as Ireland lose 87-57 to Israel". Basketball Ireland. 8 February 2024. Retrieved 9 February 2024.
  3. ^ "1980 World Olympic Qualifying Tournament for Women - Teams - Ireland". archive.fiba.com. FIBA. Retrieved 9 February 2024.
  4. ^ "1989 European Promotion Cup for Women - Schedule". archive.fiba.com. FIBA. Retrieved 9 February 2024.
  5. ^ Duggan, Keith (24 February 2010). "Basketball Ireland pull plug on international sides". The Irish Times. Retrieved 24 February 2010.
  6. ^ "Peat glad of Ireland comeback". Dublin Gazette. 26 March 2015. Archived from the original on 30 June 2015.
  7. ^ "Gathering Shield Match Reports". Basketball Ireland. 26 October 2013. Retrieved 15 June 2015.
  8. ^ "Ireland Resurrect Senior Women's Programme". FIBA Europe. 23 October 2015. Retrieved 25 December 2015.
  9. ^ "2016 FIBA Women's European Championship for Small Countries - Final Standings". fiba.basketball. FIBA Europe. Retrieved 2 November 2020.
  10. ^ "2016 FIBA Women's European Championship for Small Countries - Teams - Ireland". fiba.basketball. FIBA Europe. Retrieved 2 November 2020.
  11. ^ "2018 FIBA Women's European Championship for Small Countries - Teams - Ireland". fiba.basketball. FIBA Europe. Retrieved 1 July 2018.
  12. ^ "2021 FIBA Women's European Championship for Small Countries - Teams - Ireland". fiba.basketball. FIBA Europe. Retrieved 25 July 2021.
  13. ^ a b "Ireland refuse to shake hands with Israel before basketball match following anti-Semitism row". The Telegraph. 8 February 2024. Retrieved 9 February 2024.
  14. ^ "Israeli basketball team photo with armed soldiers ahead of game vs Ireland 'under review'". thejournal.ie. Journal Media Ltd. 9 February 2024. Retrieved 9 February 2024.
  15. ^ "Ireland women's basketball team refuse to shake hands with Israel". BBC Sport. 8 February 2024. Retrieved 9 February 2024.
  16. ^ Doherty, Oisin (8 February 2024). "Ireland 57-87 Israel recap and result from Women's EuroBasket qualifier". Irish Mirror. Retrieved 8 February 2024.
  17. ^ "Irish Women National Team 2024". eurobasket.com. Archived from the original on 9 February 2024.
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