“It was one of the most important games of the tournament. Between the Top 8 and the Top 4, there is a huge difference,” confirmed an ever-brilliant Emma Meesseman, speaking to Pierre Capart after posting 30 points, 9 rebounds, and 4 assists.
Proud of her team’s fighting spirit, the West Flanders center highlighted the Cats’ maturity and their ability to overcome a difficult first quarter caused by Germany’s strong shooting performance.
“Physically, they are very tall. That was already our first challenge. In the first quarter, they mostly scored from three-point range, but we knew they couldn’t keep that up for 40 minutes. It was up to us to play fast to prevent them from being effective. We found the solution in the second half,” Meesseman explained.
Her comments were echoed by teammate Julie Vanloo. “We knew those were our mistakes—if we communicated a bit better, those three-pointers wouldn’t be as easy for the Germans. We adjusted, it was simply a lack of communication,” Vanloo said.
Undefeated since the start of the tournament, the Belgian Cats appear to have taken a significant step forward against Germany and have no intention of slowing down.
“We’ve seen the best version of the Cats so far, but we can still grow,” Meesseman insisted. “Growing throughout the tournament was the original goal. That’s how tournaments work—you can’t be at your peak at the beginning. We still need to work on the small mistakes and remaining details.”
“Everyone is finding their best level again, it’s beautiful to see,” added Julie Vanloo, already eager to battle Italy in Friday’s semifinal.
“They have strong team chemistry, they run a lot and very fast. But the road to the final is open, I think. We have to go all the way. That’s the goal,” Vanloo concluded.
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