PARIS (EuroBasket Women 2015) - Touted as one of the favourites to lift the EuroBasket Women 2015 title this summer, France have announced a preliminary list of 24 candidates for Hungary and Romania.

Les Bleus last won the title at the 2009 edition of the event, also reaching the Final last time out on home soil two years ago, when they lost a real tear-jerker to Spain.

Head coach Valerie Garnier welcomes back the roster which featured at the FIBA Women's World Championship last year in Turkey, with the biggest name returnee outside of those 12 players being Isabelle Yacoubou.

A massive fans' favourite and one of the biggest personalities in the women's game, the powerhouse center is back on board as expected having skipped last summer for personal reasons.

All of the headline names are included on the list, including playmaking ace Celine Dumerc and also UMMC standout Sandrine Gruda.

There has been some clamour for Garnier to start blooding some younger players and they are represented by the likes of Valeriane Ayayi who was overlooked for Ankara and Istanbul, but she has responded by posting a red-hot season in EuroLeague Women with Basket Lattes Montpellier Agglomeration.

There are also places for the multi-talented and electrifying Olivia Epoupa who has starred at youth level for her country for a number of consecutive summers and now looks like being a strong contender to finally make the transition to the senior team.

She is joined by her Toulouse team-mate Aby Gaye who is another rising star.

There are also no fewer than five Villeneuve d'Ascq players included in the wake of their recent EuroCup Women title, while a quarter of the roster is drawn from Tango Bourges - the club side of Coach Garnier.

France will begin preparations on 25 April and will play in three warm-up tournaments prior to heading to Timisoara to face Ukraine, Czech Republic, Romania and Montenegro in Group A.

Before that, they will face Great Britain, Serbia and the Slovak Republic in the Lyon stage between 6-13 May, then move on to the Tarbes leg of their preparations where they will face Lithuania, Greece and Sweden between 20 and 24 May.

The final friendly tournament will take place in the Lille region between 31 May and 2 June, involving games against Italy, Poland and Canada.

France 24-player preliminary roster for EuroBasket Women 2015: Marielle Amant, Valeriane Ayayi, Romane Bernies, Virginie Bremont, Ana Maria Cata-Chitiga, Sara Chevaugeon, Helena Ciak, Celine Dumerc, Olivia Epoupa, Aby Gaye, Emilie Gomis, Johanne Gomis, Sandrine Gruda, Laetitia Kamba, Anael Lardy, Sarah Michel, Endy Miyem, Alexia Plagnard, Fatimatou Sacko, Paoline Salagnac, Gaelle Skrela, Ingrid Tanqueray, Diandra Tchatchouang, Isabelle Yacoubou.

Go to eurobasketwomen2015.com for full coverage of EuroBasket Women 2015.

FIBA