VALENCIA (Jeff Taylor's Eurovision) - There has been no shortage of inspiration for Serbia's national team to draw from at the EuroBasket Women in Budapest this week.

A large helping has been served up from Sonja Petrovic, a player out of the squad for several years.

More has been given by a player not in the team.

Natasa Kovacevic, who lost a leg in the UNI Gyor bus tragedy in September of 2013 that claimed the lives of club manager Peter Tapodi and coach Akos Fuzy, also provided a huge dose of inspiration when she played in the FIBA Europe Legends Game on Saturday.

Kovacevic wore a prosthetic leg and drilled a few three-pointers in a game that featured many a famous European player from years gone by.

Petrovic has been a huge talent since her teenage years.

A winner when she played for Serbia and Montenegro, the forward once scooped the MVP honor at an U18 European Championship and also been voted FIBA Europe Young Women's Player of the Year.

In August 2008, though, not long after receiving those awards, Petrovic had plenty of cause for concern about her career prospects after tearing an ACL while playing for Serbia in a game against France.

She battled back.

Petrovic played at Spart&K Moscow Region while a teammate of tremendous players like Lauren Jackson and Diana Taurasi and even made it to the WNBA to play for the Chicago Sky and Pokey Chatman, one of her former coaches with the Russian team.

This past season, she scaled the heights with ZVVZ USK Prague, winning the EuroLeague Women.

At the EuroBasket Women, Petrovic has been rock solid, be it getting on the floor to fight for loose balls or crashing the boards against fierce competitors like Lara Sanders of Turkey in Serbia's 75-63 Quarter-Final triumph that assured them of a spot in next year's FIBA Women's Olympic Qualifying Tournament (WOQT).

The 25-year-old had five offensive rebounds in that contest.

In the 74-72 nail-biter of a victory over Belarus in the Semi-Finals, Petrovic scored 14 points and had five more offensive boards.

She ended up a rebound shy of a double-double.

"It's been an unbelievable season," she told me.

"Our EuroLeague [Women] season, it was a Cinderella story and it's continued with our national team.

"Playing for your country, there are always special emotions.

"I loved the feeling that we were underdogs, even though some people thought we could win it.

"We're showing the emotions of our team, the fighting, that says it all."

Petrovic says that during her time away from the national team, she always watched the team and monitored their performances.

That included two years ago when Serbia lost their first two games at the EuroBasket in France but didn't fall again until the Semi-Finals, by which time they had clinched a spot in the FIBA Women's World Championship.

Then at Turkey 2014, Serbia built on the success by first matching the heavily-favored United States blow for blow much of their game and ultimately reaching the Quarter-Finals.

Turkey's national team sent Serbia home with a defeat in each of those tournaments.

The Turks won their Third-Place Game in France and edged them last year in the Last Eight.

"We have a lot of fire in our team," she said.

"We have a good group of people that understand each other."

Petrovic is better now that ever.

"I think the injuries that I had and overcoming them, and going to the WNBA and struggling there, it made me better."

As for Kovacevic, one can only draw strength from her presence.

From the Gyor tragedy which left her with an amputated leg, Kovacevic has revealed herself to be a real fighter, determined to make a difference in this world.

The 21-year-old has created the Natasa Kovacevic Foundation.

She is actively searching for other athletes that have serious health problems and trying to help them while also promoting basketball.

Once one of her country's rising stars on the court, she is now proving to be one off of it.

Kovacevic has never felt sorry for herself but rather responded to a different type of challenge.

She is practicing basketball and getting the feel back for the game.

Kovacevic has not ruled out playing for a team again in the future.

For now, she is also thrilled to see her friends in the Serbia team go on such a terrific run in the tournament.

"They're amazing," she said.

"I've been here and able to watch them play and they have made such a huge success. I'm so happy for them.

"The entire Serbia country is behind them."

FIBA