Emma Meesseman was injured against Bosnia and Herzegovina on Monday and is forced to abandon her teammates for the rest of the competition.
Belgium captain Emma Meesseman, who injured her left calf against Bosnia and Herzegovina on Monday, has withdrawn from the Women’s Basketball World Cup in Sydney, the Belgian Basketball Federation announced.
“After an MRI examination at the hospital, it was found to be an injury to the deep muscle of the left calf, which led to the immediate withdrawal from competition“, said the federation in a press release.
The absence of Meesseman, who had left the floor at the start of the third quarter during the victory against the Bosnians (85-55), synonymous with qualification for the quarter-finals, is a big blow for her and the “Belgian Cats“, who are aiming for a first world medal. The player from Ekaterinburg (Russia) and Chicago Sky in the WNBA (29 years old, 1.93m) is one of the best interior players in the world.
The Belgians, coached by Frenchman Valéry Demory, face China on Tuesday (03:30 GMT) to try to finish in second place in Pool A (behind the Americans) and thus be seeded in the quarter-final draw, scheduled Thursday.