Can C'Chartres Métropole Basket Féminin create a surprise at Basket Landes?

What if Chartres managed to take advantage of the small earthquake that just shook the Landes club? The departure of Samantha Fuehring, made official on Wednesday November 20, 2024 by the club, could be an element not to be taken lightly since the American interior was one of the strong players in Julie Barennes' squad (9 points, 6 rebounds, 3 assists, 11 evaluation for 25 minutes of play).

Having left for personal reasons, notably linked to a complicated integration, Fuehring, in agreement with the club, waited until a replacement was found for him. This is the Dutch international Kourtney Treffers (30 years old), who will be well aligned against Chartres today but who has not played for… a year:

“At the start of the international break, Samantha Fuehring made known her wish to terminate her contract for personal reasons,” explains Basket Landes. “In the middle of the season and provided that the continuity of sporting operations and its replacement is ensured, the club and the player have reached an agreement to end their collaboration. »

Espace François-Mitterrand, fortress of women's basketball

“It’s not the same profile but still in what matters for Basket Landes, we are recruiting above all someone who is good on a human level,” explains coach Julie Barennes, who knows Treffers well since she had her under her orders with the Dutch national team. So can this change in the squad have an impact on the well-oiled game of the Basket Landes troops and benefit C'Chartres Métropole Basket Féminin?

One thing is certain, the Bluelights have regained momentum by achieving their first success in the club's history in the Wonderligue, Sunday November 17 against Charleville-Mézières (80-72). But in its lair, Basket Landes is simply impregnable.

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Undefeated at the Espace François-Mitterrand this season in all competitions – and only one defeat at home last season – the Montoises take advantage of a white-hot room and always sold out, with bands and all the folklore, to impress their opponents:

“It’s really a chance to play in this kind of place. But it can be difficult to manage,” says Chartres coach Benoît Marty, who knows these heated atmospheres: “I had to play in the Landes when I was playing in N2 and N3 as a player. It's really special. So obviously, we talked about it with the girls. We must not let them ride the euphoria, otherwise it can become complicated. Personally, it’s a context that I like. »

At François-Mitterrand, the enthusiasm is such that almost all the seats for all the matches are already sold before the start of the season (2,500 seats, including 2,216 season ticket holders). The other side of the coin: the Bluelights will therefore have no supporters in the Landes this afternoon.

If the fight in the stands is a foregone conclusion, Chartres hopes to compete, even if the team of captain Clarince Djaldi-Tabdi is clearly the favorite.

Geiselsoder, the German threat

If, in recent weeks, the offensive strength of Basket Landes is less impressive than at the start of the season, the Montoises still have the second best attack in the Wonderligue. They include three internationals: Kourtney Treffers (Netherlands), Leila Lacan (France) and especially the German Luisa Geiselsoder, “probably one of the best players in her position in the Wonderleague,” says Benoît Marty.

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It is especially in defense that the Landaises, who won a historic qualification for the second round of the Euroleague, Wednesday, against Salamanca (59-58) perform. They only conceded 391 points in the championship, compared to 465 for the CCMBF:

“They are doubled at each position, which is exceptional in the Wonderligue. They have a lot of rotations and we know that to challenge them, we will have to be present for forty minutes. Playing for one half will not be enough,” warns the Chartres coach, referring to the mediocre first half of his players last week.

It may be necessary to count on a boost from the Montoises, who play a series of matches between the Euroleague and the championship, for the promoted team to achieve the feat.

Nathan Sportiello