Emma Meseman: MVP who made history

Since 2013, the women's basketball teams of Serbia and Spain have alternated on the European throne. Ten years ago, "Furija" defeated the domestic selection in France and won the gold, and two years later, the gold medal went to the Serbian women. After that, Spain was at the top of Europe twice in a row (2017 and 2019), and Serbia in 2021.

It seemed that the streak could be continued at this year's Eurobasket. Spain reached the final, was close to the fifth gold, led for 36 minutes, but was eventually defeated by Belgium (64:58), which reached its first, historic title.

The Belgian women played an excellent tournament, and even before the championship they were one of the candidates for the title. And then in the group stage, in Tel Aviv, they defeated Israel (108:59), the Czech Republic (84:41) and Italy (72:64). In the quarter-final they were convincing against Serbia (93:53), in the semi-final they eliminated France (67:63) and finally in the grand final they beat Spain. They won the third medal in the last four championships (they have bronze in 2017 and 2021), and the first gold and crowned the years during which women's national basketball in that country was expanding.

Like all teams, Belgium also has a star, the leader of the team, who is most deserving of the title won. In the case of the new European champions, it is Ema Meseman, a 30-year-old girl who wrote the history of women's basketball in Slovenia.

"If you like basketball, watch the semi-final match between France and Belgium and watch how Emma Messeman plays," French national team player Nikola Batum tweeted during the semi-final.

Emma Meseman's numbers at the championship are phenomenal - she averaged 21,7 points, 8,7 rebounds, 5,2 assists and 4,3 steals. In the quarterfinals against Serbia, she wrote the history of the women's Eurobasket and became the first basketball player to reach a triple-double at the continental championships (she finished the match with 15 points, 13 rebounds and 10 assists). As expected, she was declared the most valuable basketball player of Eurobasket.

"We are champions. I'm proud of the team. During most of the final, we didn't have energy, but we got up at the right moment," Meseman said after the final. After her three-pointer in the 36th minute, Belgium took the lead for the first time in the game (55:54).

Even before the European Championship, Messeman wrote the history of Belgian women's basketball. With Fenerbahçe, she defeated Mersin in the finals in mid-April, won the Euroleague (proclaimed the most valuable basketball player in the regular season) and became the Belgian player with the most titles in this competition (five compared to four won by Anne Wouters). Four of those five titles were won by Meseman with Yekaterinburg (2016, 2018, 2019 and 2021). In the Fenerbahce jersey, she won the title in the national championship this season, and was named the most valuable basketball player in the final series.

She was born in Ypres, and started her professional career at the age of 16. Her mother, Sonja Tankre, was named the best Belgian basketball player in 1983.

"For me and my brother, it was most important to play sports. As I grew up, my talent for basketball came to the fore more and more, so it was an easy choice to play this sport. My mother did not force me, but she respected my decision. And after a while I wanted to be better than her," Meseman said in an interview.

After a career in Belgium and France, Messeman went to the WNBA in 2013, and was selected by the Washington Mystics in the draft.

"At first I was worried about moving to the US. I had never watched a WNBA game before. I knew some of the players, but it all seemed far away. I wasn't sure if I would go. I was 19, I was scared ", the Belgian basketball player recalled.

But going to the WNBA was a hit. Already in 2015, she participated in the All-Star, and in 2019 she won the title and was declared the most valuable basketball player of the finals. It was Washington's first and so far only title.

"In the beginning, I didn't believe that I would succeed in the WNBA. I had to adapt, but I quickly realized that Washington chose me because of my style of play. Then I decided not to change the way I play basketball."

Like other basketball players, after the end of the WNBA season, Meseman played in Europe, where she won the aforementioned four titles in the Euroleague with Yekaterinburg. With the Russian team, she won the domestic competition six times, and the Cup once.

Along with the club, Meseman also developed a successful representative career. Six years ago, Belgium was not ranked in the FIBA ​​rankings, and then the rise began. At the European Championship in the Czech Republic in 2017, this team won the bronze medal, the first medal in history.

A year later, at the first World Championship, the "cats" won fourth place, and in 2019, they ended their appearance at the Eurobasket in fifth place.

Two years ago, Belgium won another bronze at the Eurobasket, and then went to the first Olympic Games, where the maximum was seventh position.

Last year at the Mundobasket in Australia, they won fifth place, and then this summer the selection finally reached the gold.

Convincing and fully deserved. And on Emma Meseman's wings.