Stef Collins is out of Great Britainâ€
s squad for their opening EuroBasket Women qualifier against Montenegro.
The countryâ€
s most-capped player was a notable absentee when the squad flew out from London on Thursday morning with 12 players bound for Podgorica for Saturdayâ€
s clash.
Despite hopes she could recover from an injury sustained early in the season, the veteran point guard will miss the start of the campaign, British Basketball confirmed, in a blow to new coach Chema Buceta.
However the Spaniard will hand debuts to Spanish-based forward Jamila Thompson along with teen prospects Eleanor Jones and Savannah Wilkinson after opting to give youth a chance with one eye on the future.
“It was a big surprise because I have been focused in the last few months on my move to Madrid,” Thompson said.
“Suddenly I was told I had been invited to camp and so it was a little bit of a shock – then now this.”
Dee Hayward has been omitted from the roster following a three-day camp in Surrey but will re-join the squad on standby for next weekâ€
s meeting with Italy in Manchester.
Squad: Allen (Vienna), Handy (Pesci), G Jones, E Jones (Leicester), Leedham (Bourges), Naylor (Sheffield), Simpson (Zamarat), Stewart (Promete), Thompson (Cref), Clark, Vanderwal (Guernica), Wilkinson (Barking Abbey)
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