AFacing the club from your beginnings always represents a special moment in a sporting career. This Sunday (3:15 p.m.), in the Basket Landes jersey, Leïla Lacan will experience her first reunion with Angers, the team that allowed her to discover the Women's League two years ago, then the play-offs this season. last (defeat in the quarters against the future champion Villeneuve-d'Ascq).
The young 20-year-old leader or back is enthusiastic at the idea of meeting her former teammates, even if the team has changed a lot compared to last season: “I'm really happy to see the four that remain, the two coaches (Aurélie Bonnan and Marius Blanchard, Editor's note), Marine (Dursus) and Axelle (Merceron). These are people with whom I shared great years. »
“With Aurélie Bonnan, we are in contact very regularly. Our relationship has not changed”
Regular contacts
The Ruthenoise also regularly checks in on her former coach Aurélie Bonnan, who was full of praise in our columns when discussing her transfer to Basket Landes. “She is an extraordinary young person, who has many principles and values. He is a trustworthy, generous person. A ray of sunshine. She became something other than just a player. It’s almost a mother-daughter relationship,” admitted the former player from Parentis-en-Born. “It’s always the same,” says the French international. We call each other from time to time, we are in contact very regularly. Our relationship has not changed. »
But there's no question of letting yourself be coaxed. “I’m happy to see them again, but that doesn’t mean we’ll give them gifts,” she quips gently. Even if I would like us to be first, I am happy for Angers, for whom each victory was essential when I was there. » This season, the Angevines are almost like scarecrows, with five successes in as many matches, including a big victory at Lattes-Montpellier (67-68). “It’s a team that hits, that’s aggressive, that fights for rebounds, that runs, which are the points on which we were lacking in Lyon,” points out Leïla Lacan. We will have to be rigorous and immediately correct the things that have gone wrong. »
Winning blue bracket
Between this last championship match, where “we were too permissive in defense, with too many lost balls and uncaptured rebounds”, and this big shock for the leader of LFB, the former Angevine experienced another type reunion, with the French team, Olympic silver medalists this summer, for the race to qualify for Euro 2025. “It’s always nice to see people with whom we experienced emotions like that, but Also to see different people. »
For this new international campaign, the Blues achieved two important successes against Israel (94-52) and Latvia (81-52), which practically guarantees them their ticket to the competition. And Leïla Lacan rather showed herself to her advantage, with 4 then 10 points scored in 16 minutes each time. “We are not yet qualified but we have done the work. We won our two matches in style, it's positive to have achieved this objective. I have a different role in the French team but it suits me just as much,” she comments soberly.
“But now, I'm happy to be back, to be back with the group and its good atmosphere,” smiles the neo-Landaise. And for the first match of a series of four matches at home (Angers and Chartres in LFB, Salamanca and Schio in Euroleague), she is more than motivated to get off to a good start. “It feels good to play at home again because we moved around a lot before the break,” she slips. Before ending with the most important objective: “Protect Mitterrand. »
