Ireland women's national basketball team
Introduction The '''Ireland women's national basketball team''' represents Ireland in international women's basketball. The team is organised by Basketball Ireland, and play their home games at the National Basketball Arena in Tallaght. As of 2024, the team was ranked 80th in the FIBA Women's World Ranking.
History A team representing Ireland participated in the 1980 FIBA World Olympic Qualifying Tournament for Women, but did not qualify. As of 1989, the Ireland women's team was contesting the European Promotion Cup for Women, and placed second in the competition.In February 2010, during the Irish financial crisis, Basketball Ireland announced that it was €1.2m in debt and would deactivate its senior international squads to cut costs. A team representing Ireland was reformed in 2013, when a "Premier League All Stars" team played Wales in a match to mark The Gathering Ireland 2013 festival. Ireland also competed in 3x3 basketball at the 2014 Europe Championships and the 2015 European Games.In late 2015, it was announced that the national team would again join official FIBA Europe competitions after accepting an invitation to play the 2016 FIBA Women's European Championship for Small Countries. The Irish team came second in the 2016 event, after losing to Malta in the final. An Irish team also entered the 2018 event (which took place in Cork) and placed sixth. Before a FIBA Women's EuroBasket 2025 qualifier, held in February 2024, in response to "inflammatory and wholly inaccurate accusations of anti-Semitism .. published on official Israeli Basketball federation channels", members of the team "boycotted the usual pre-match pleasantries" and did not shake hands with the Israeli team. A number of Irish team members also opted not to travel to the game, which had been postponed from November 2023 and moved to Riga in Latvia due to the Israeli invasion of Gaza. Ireland lost the game by 30 points.
Squad As of 2024 (EuroBasket Women 2025 qualifiers), the squad included:* Sarah Hickey, WIT Wildcats* Kate Hickey, WIT Wildcats* Lauryn Homan, Brunell BC* Abigail Rafferty, DeSales University* Bridget Herlihy, Porta XI Ensino (Spain)* Annaliese Murphy, Glanmire* Grace Prenter, Trinity Meteors* Kara McCleane, University of Galway* Sorcha Tiernan, Liffey Celtics* Alexandra Mulligan, Ulster University Tigers* Amy Dooley, Glanmire* Aine O'Connor, Liffey Celtics
See also *Ireland women's national under-18 basketball team*Ireland women's national under-16 basketball team*Ireland women's national 3x3 team
References
External links * Official website * Ireland at FIBA site* Ireland National Team – Women at Eurobasket.com