Captain Svenja Brunckhorst is contesting her first major tournament with the German national team at the EuroBasket in Slovenia. As a 3×3 player, on the other hand, she has already gained international experience – and dreams of the Olympics.
Svenja Brunckhorst first had to adjust: “There are many challenges: full court, two baskets, more players, a different ball,” she says in an interview with NDR. No wonder! Just a week ago, the 31-year-old played at the 3×3 World Championships in Vienna, since Thursday she has been preparing with the German national team in “classic” basketball for the EuroBasket in Slovenia and Israel (June 15-25) – for the first time times for twelve years.
DBB captain with two passions
“My first training session might not have been the best,” Brunckhorst reports with a laugh, “but I’m going back to what I’ve been doing for 20 years, so I’m getting into my comfort zone there.” Born in Rotenburg (Wümme), she started her Bundesliga career with the former series champions TSV Wasserburg, with whom she won numerous titles. She played in Spain and France, among others, and with 70 international matches, is the most experienced player in the German squad for the EuroBasket.
Brunckhorst has now retired from the league and, when she is not playing for the national team, only plays 3×3 basketball – also known as streetball, which has been an Olympic game since 2020. “I needed a new challenge for myself – that was more than convenient,” she says, adding: “I gradually fell in love with this 3×3 lifestyle more and more because it’s just really fun to be outside in summer. “
Svenja Brunckhorst (right) at the 3×3 World Championships in Vienna
Targeting the Olympics: “This is what everyone dreams of”
The biggest incentive, however, is something else: “Running up for your country at the Olympic Games is what everyone dreams of,” says Brunckhorst, his eyes shining. With the women’s national team, it was “actually almost always utopian”, with 3×3, on the other hand, she saw the potential. Qualifying for Tokyo didn’t work out, but Brunckhost is very optimistic about Paris: “We have really good chances and will do everything we can to make it to the Olympics next year.”
“For every athlete, no matter what sport, the Olympic Games are the biggest event. No matter how bad you are at your sport.”
— Svenja Brunckhorst
The structures for this are in place: there has been a federal base in Hanover since 2021, five players are released as sports soldiers for sport; train all year round for the big goal.
Eight teams will start at the games in the French capital next year. “Of course, that’s only a few places,” says Brunckhorst, “but our starting position looks good and we’ve shown that we belong there.” Most recently with a fifth place at the World Championships in Vienna.
First EM ticket in twelve years
Now the next highlight is coming up: European Championship! For the DBB selection, it is the first participation since 2011. “We have had the feeling for a long time that we have the potential and should be there on the European stage,” says Brunckhorst, “but we just didn’t make it.” With the qualification in February, that is now a thing of the past.
“It’s good to put that behind us, we’ve clearly said that it should now be future-oriented,” says the defensive player, who is observing a positive development in German women’s basketball overall. In 2026, Germany will host the World Cup in Berlin: “It’s super important that it’s pushed like this and something we’re all looking forward to,” said Brunckhorst.
“Grab Bag” DBB selection at EuroBasket
The German squad is considered an underdog at the European Championships, but is promising for the future: Eight of the twelve players are active in international leagues. While Marie Gülich won the Spanish championship with Valencia BC last season, Leonie Fiebich (Zaragoza) became the most valuable player in the league (MVP). Satou Sabally from the Dallas Wings from the WNBA, Germany’s best basketball player, is giving up the EuroBasket and concentrating on the North American professional league.
“This is the starting signal for something new.”
— Svenja Brunckhorst
“I look at our team and see a lot of size and we can throw well,” says Brunckhorst with a view to the DBB selection: “I think that many teams see us as a bit of a grab bag.”
Against the preliminary round opponents France (tournament co-favourite), co-hosts Slovenia and Great Britain, it’s about “getting out of the group phase first”, nobody in the team is thinking about that yet. But: “This is the starting signal for something new,” says Brunckhorst: “We have an extremely strong squad and the goal is that it doesn’t take twelve years again.”
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Sports current | 06/14/2023 | 11:17 a.m