DAVIS, Calif. — Junior
Lena Svanholm won't be able to suit up for UC Davis during the 2019-20 college season due to NCAA transfer rules, but she will have the opportunity to keep her skills sharp in the coming weeks, selected as one of 16 players to compete with the Danish Women's National Team during the 2021 FIBA Women's EuroBasket qualifiers.
"The opportunity to compete for the senior Danish national team is very unique and means a lot to me," Svanholm said. "Growing up, I have had amazing experiences playing with Danish youth national teams and it has always been both a great challenge and a great honor to compete for Denmark.
"Now, having the opportunity to travel to Europe to be a part of the senior's national team competing in the European Championship Qualification Games, is extremely exciting. My role on the team might be different than what I have experienced in the past but I will still be wearing a red-and-white uniform and be competing with pride!"
Qualification for the tournament will be played during three windows from Nov. 10-18, 2019, Nov. 8-16, 2020, and Jan. 31-Feb. 8, 2021. Among the 35 participating countries, co-hosts France and Spain have already earned spots in the final round, while the remaining 33 countries have to earn their spots via the qualifiers.
Teams were drawn into nine groups — six groups of four and three groups of three — with the nine group winners and the five best second-place teams moving on to the final round along with France and Spain.
The first round puts Denmark on the road against Romania on Nov. 14, before returning home to face Italy on Nov. 17 at the Gentofte Sportspark in Copenhagen — the first game to be played on Danish soil since 2000 according to the team's press release. The Czech Republic is the fourth team in the group and will meet Denmark during the second round of qualifiers on Nov. 12, 2020.
"In a small nation like Denmark, an event like this means a lot," Svanholm said. "It is something our national team has fought to be a part of for a long time and now it is finally time to test our abilities against some of the best European basketball countries.
A complete schedule is listed below.
According to the FIBA World Rankings as of Nov. 8, 2019, Italy is the No. 14-ranked team in the world, followed by the Czech Republic at No. 17, and Romania is No. 48. Denmark comes into the qualifiers at No. 46 in the world.
"Playing away in a different country, in this case Romania, is always hard and the game in Denmark, against Italy, is already sold out so I expect the atmosphere in the gym in both games to be very intense and the atmosphere on the court to be filled with passion and pride," Svanholm said. "Everybody wants to win and everybody understands what it takes. 'Kom så Danmark!'"
The team features seven players from foreign clubs or universities, including Villanova's Sarah Mortensen, and the rest hailing from Denmark's top clubs. The roster also features former Division I student-athletes Anna Seilund (San Francisco), Caroline Wich (Portland State and California Baptist), Ena Viso (South Dakota State), Gritt Ryder (Colorado State), Ida Krogh (Siena), and Maria Jespersen (USF).
Svanholm is no stranger to international competition as a member of Denmark's various age-group squads. Most recently, she competed with the Danish U20 team at the 2018 FIBA Women's European Championships in Romania, averaging 16.1 ppg and 11.1 rpg — ranked No. 6 and No. 2, respectively, in the tournament. She also participated in the 2016 FIBA U18 Women's European Championships, posting four straight double-doubles in seven games during the tournament.
2021 FIBA WOMEN'S EUROBASKET QUALIFIERS
Nov. 14, 2019 - Romania vs. Denmark
Nov. 17, 2019 - Denmark vs. Italy
Nov. 12, 2020 - Czech Republic vs. Denmark
Nov. 15, 2020 - Denmark vs. Romania
Feb. 4, 2021 - Italy vs. Denmark
Feb. 7, 2021 - Denmark vs. Czech Republic
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