RIGA (EuroBasket Women 2015) - Latvia greats Anete Jekabsone and Gunta Basko are giving strong consideration to representing their country again when it plays at the EuroBasket Women in Hungary and Romania in three months.
Jekabsone, without a national team appearance since 2009, and Basko, who stopped wearing the Latvia jersey after EuroBasket Women 2011 in Poland, have agreed to be in the 19-strong preliminary squad for the tournament - a qualifying event for the Rio de Janeiro Olympics.
Each will make a final decision on her participation in the coming weeks.
Several years ago at the FIBA Olympic Qualifying Tournament for Women in Madrid, Latvia built on afourth-place finish at the EuroBasket Women 2007 in Italy and qualified for the Beijing Games.
Jekabsone and Basko averaged a combined 27 points per game in Spain to help their team reach the Olympics.
Latvia capped an exciting three-year stretch by hosting the EuroBasket Women in 2009.
"I am happy that Anete Jekabsone-Zogota and Gunta Basko-Melnbarde have expressed the desire to return and agreed to be included on the candidate list," national team coach Ainars Zvirgzdins said.
The two veterans have plenty of experience to lend to the squad.
A 1.77m shooting guard, Jekabsone-Zogota, who is 31, is now on the books of EuroLeague Women side Dynamo Kursk.
She has accomplished plenty in her career, including winning a WNBA title in 2014 with the PhoenixShe has also played for EuroLeague Women giants like Sparta&K Moscow Region, UMMC Ekaterinburg and Fenerbahce.
Basko, a 1.81m forward who turns 35 at the end of April, has played in a lot of EuroLeague Women and EuroCup Women games for different clubs.
She is currently playing for Basket Landes in France.
Basko still has the ability to come up with big plays, something she did in a French league game against BLMA in January when drilling a three-pointer to force overtime.
Both players will be assets at the EuroBasket with tough games on the schedule.Latvia will play in Group C in Szombathely against Great Britain, Serbia, Croatia and Russia.
"It's a very interesting group," the coach said.
"Each team has its own special features. I hope we will be able to prepare for it well in order to maintain a high level."
As for the rest of those in the 19-player preliminary squad, the leading scorer in last year's team,Elina Babkina, is not among them.
Babkina was the point guard in the Latvia team that played at the EuroBasket Women 2013 in France.
Babkina has signed for the Los Angeles Sparks in the WNBA.
Full preliminary squad for Latvia at EuroBasket Women 2015: Zane Eglite, Kate Aizsila, Anda Eibele, Ieva Krastina, Kate Kreslina, Kitija Laksa, Ruta Vaidere, Ieva Kulite, Zenta Melnika, Anete Jekabsone-Zogota, Gunta Basko-Melnbarde, Liene Priede, Zane Jakobsone, Sabine Niedola, Dita Liepkalne, Dita Rozenberga, Anete Steinberga, Kristine Vitola and Aija Putnina.
