The French women’s basketball team made short work of modest Israel (94-52) in their first match since the Olympic Games. Olympic silver medalon Thursday in Caen, where they continued their flawless qualifying campaign for Euro 2025. Les Bleues scored their third victory to maintain their one-point lead over Latvia at the top of Group E: a win on Sunday in Riga against the Baltic, whom they crushed in the first leg (71-49), would, barring an unlikely set of circumstances, guarantee them a place at the Euro (June 18-29 in Greece, Sweden, Czech Republic and Italy), either as group winners or via one of the four best runner-up tickets.

Even if their opponents were ideal, they didn’t miss out on their reunion with the French public, who left on a narrow defeat in the Olympic final against the American queens (66-67). And even if only half of the medallists took to the floor, between absences (Marine Johannès, Marine Fauthoux, Iliana Rupert, Dominique Malonga), retirement (Sarah Michel Boury) and a break (Alexia Chéry), the French team kept its weapons: aggressive defense, continuous intensity, athletic and inside impact (50 rebounds to 24, 54 points in the paint to 20). And, as the game drew to a close before half-time (40-20, 18th), it added a few fine offensive sequences.

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Gabby Williams at the rendezvous

Les Bleues can also count on their key players, including Gabby Williams: winner of the Alain Gilles Trophy and unfortunate heroine of the Olympic final, has started the international season on such a high note (14 pts, 4 rebounds, 4 assists, 2 steals and 3 counters in 18 minutes).

She was well supported by new captain Valériane Ayayi (11 pts, 7 rbds and 2 int in 20 min) and Marième Badiane (11 pts in 19 min), before coach Jean-Aimé Toupane opened the bench in the second half to give Jess-Mine Zodia and Camille Droguet their first caps. The match was marked by a police presence and heightened security conditions in front of and inside the stadium in the context of the war in the Middle East.

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