ZAGREB (EuroBasket Women/FIBA World Championship for Women) - Sandra Mandir had such a dramatic impact at the EuroBasket Women two summers ago in Poland for Croatia that she earned a spot on the All-Tournament Team.
The captain was inspirational in leading her country to a fifth-place finish, which earned the team a berth in the 2012 FIBA Olympic Qualifying Tournament for Women (OQTW).
The veteran then helped the squad find success in Ankara, Turkey, at the OQTW as Croatia claimed a place in the Olympic Women's Basketball Tournament for the very first time.
Mandir's name isn't on the 15-strong list of Croatia players who are going to be joining national team boss Stipe Bralic to prepare for the EuroBasket Women 2013 in France.
In announcing the squad on their website, Croatia's basketball federation didn't offer a comment on her absence although according to media reports, at 35 years of age, the 1.77m Mandir has decided to retire.
Croatia will be without someone that averaged 14 points and shot 42.9% at the London Games last summer.
Mandir also averaged 14.3 points at the EuroBasket in Poland, drilling 42.5% of her attempts from beyond the arc.
Croatia will nevertheless have a talented group in France that includes point guard Iva Ciglar and 1.85m power forward Jelena Ivezic.
Both players were crucial for Croatia late in the EuroBasket Women 2011 competition.
In the do-or-die game against Montenegro that determined fifth place and which team would advance to Ankara, Ciglar had 19 points and five assists while Ivezic scored 21 and corralled eight rebounds.
Croatia will play in Group D against Lithuania, Belarus and the Czech Republic in France, with the EuroBasket tipping off 15 June.
The event will serve as a qualifying tournament for the 2014 FIBA World Championship for Women.
Croatia preliminary squad for EuroBasket Women 2013: Iva Ciglar, Andja Jelavic, Antonija Misura, Emanuela Salopek, Monika Bosilj, Kristina Benic, Jelena Ivezic, Ana Lelas, Davorka Balic, Mirna Mazic, Iva Sliskovic, Josipa Bura, Marija Rezan, Luca Ivankovic and Matea Vrdoljak.
