FIBA U20 Women’s European Championship: Elina Syniakova Leads Ukraine to Victory, Latvia Defeats Croatia, Lithuania Falls to Israel

The third day of the FIBA U20 Women’s European Championship brought another series of exciting games as the race for the playoffs intensified.
Ukraine earned a convincing 73–53 victory over Switzerland behind another outstanding performance from Elina Syniakova, who finished with 18 points and 7 rebounds, continuing her impressive start to the championship.
Latvia defeated Croatia 78–64 to remain in the fight for a high finish. Zana Straudovska, who signed with Chipola College this spring, one of the most outstanding junior college basketball programs in the United States, made an excellent impact off the bench, scoring 9 points in just 15 minutes of playing time. Although she is younger than most of her teammates, Straudovska continues to show tremendous potential and could become one of Latvia’s key players after completing a strong season at Chipola College.
The final game of the day saw host nation Lithuania fall to Israel in a dramatic battle, 74–71. Lithuania was led by Gabija Galvanauskaitė, while Israel received a spectacular performance from Gal Raviv, who scored 35 points and grabbed 6 rebounds. Facing a team with a player capable of dominating the game at that level is an enormous challenge.
The group stage is now complete, and attention turns to the Round of 16, where every game becomes a win-or-go-home battle and the competition is expected to become even more intense.