MUNICH (FIBA EuroBasket Women 2017) - With less than 50 days remaining to FIBA EuroBasket Women 2017, it is time to check in with our first Power Rankings of the year.

RANK	NATION
1		Unbeaten in the Qualifiers - including with two victories over defending champions Serbia - this is a team that is so much more than just Alina Iagupova, who just fired ESBVA-LM into the French finals
2		Lucas Mondelo and Anna Cruz will enter camp as EuroLeague Women champions, but the loss in the final of the Russian Championship - their last game before heading into camp - hurts.
3		Two years ago, Russia only just missed out on a spot in the Olympic Qualifiers, with Maria Vadeeva stealing the show as a 16-year-old. She is now two years older and a EuroLeague Women champion. Russia. is. back.
4		No Isabelle Yacoubou or Sandrine Gruda, but a strong generational rotation still makes us feel good about the French.
5		Given, they are on debut. But coming back with the same team that powered them into the Final Round, plus the addition of a naturalized player, and we are excited.
6		At home, Czech Republic can count on some huge home fan support. The return of Katerina Elhotova from maternity leave and the naturalization of Kia Vaughn are also big reasons to have Czech fans excited.
7		A fantastic new head coach in Roberto Iniguez to steer the ship...however, who boards the ship, particularly in the form of the naturalized player, is key.
8		Given, they did not look great when they hosted at home two years ago. But now they have Courtney Vandersloot. Enough said.
9		All their players appear to be in good shape at club level, but no sign of a naturalized big means Italy could be shooting from the carpark throughout in this tournament.
10		A final FIBA EuroBasket Women Final Round for legend Ann Wauters and the first for Emma Meesseman - a legend in the making. But the loss of Hind Ben Abdelkader hurts.
11		Evanthia Maltsi appears to be back for a swansong, but this is an aging roster. Where are the up-and-coming players for Greece?
12		Turkey's players are on the rosters of some of the biggest-hitting clubs in Europe - but it is the lack of playing that is a concern. It remains to be seen how the heavy reliance Turkish clubs have on foreign talent could ultimately hurt the national team program.
13		Watching Sonja Petrovic limp off in the EuroLeague Women Final Four was a major concern for lovers of the women's game, not just Serbian basketball. Throw in some key retirements and a new coach and it is difficult to see Serbia coming close to a repeat of 2015.
14		Snuck into the Final Round thanks to some majestic displays from Anete Jekabsone. However, with the sharpshooter now retired, who will Latvia turn to in clutch situations?
15		Difficult what to make of Belarus in their current state. Their initial training camp only includes players who ply their trade within the Eastern Europe state, with the participation of some of their biggest hitters in Rio remaining a mystery.
16		Naming a new coach less than two months out from the tournament is not a good sign for Slovak Republic, with a number of players also rumored to be missing this summer.

*The power rankings are entirely subjective and is in no way a true, accurate ranking systems. All comments are purely those of the author.

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