GYOR (EuroBasket Women 2015) - They say cream always rises to the top and the emerging success being discovered by Martina Kissova must taste particularly sweet for the Slovak Republic ace after things had previously turned sour in her career.

The versatile forward is finally moving out of the shadows for both club and country - or perhaps that should be emerging from the lonely darkness of a long period of rehabilitation.

In 2012, Kissova was sat on Hungarian soil in Debrecen with a plaster cast on her leg having gone down injured for her nation at the U20 European Championship Women.

It wasn't the only serious injury she had to contend with, as fate denied her the same kind of joy and share of the limelight experienced by rising star team-mates, Zofia Hruscakova and Barbora Balintova.

The momentum of better fortune eventually changed last summer when she was approaching full fitness once again, as her former youth coach and Good Angels Kosice play-caller Maros Kovacik was handed the reins of the Slovak Republic's senior team.

Having been thrown a landmark debut during qualification and then plenty of EuroLeague Women minutes last season, she has now found herself a starting place for the senior side and is establishing herself as one the most underrated players at EuroBasket Women 2015.

It was hard after not really playing for two years to come back and then face having to deal with contact again, especially offensively. - Kissova

But it has been a long slog for the 22-year-old and a journey that means she's savouring every single minute of the action in the tournament because of the path she has walked.

"After the first surgery it was only six months and seemed almost normal to get a big injury and to recover.

"But three months after I got back onto the court, it happened to me all over again.

"I was really down after that as you can imagine and it was a big challenge in many different ways.

"But now I am in my second year after my biggest surgery, it is getting better all the time for me."

That final thought might just be one of the understatements of the entire tournament.

For Kissova is playing right at the heart of a team which relies on its aggressive and high octane approach to arguably punch above its weight.

Almost helping her side to take down the highly-fancied Serbia, the Bratislava-native matched up effectively with Jelena Milovanovic and Sonja Petrovic in the three and four spots, which showcased her rapidly burgeoning defensive capabilities.

However the next task for Kissova is to expand her game.

"My coach keeps telling me that I have to get more active in our offence as it is not good to only rely on my defense," she explained.

"I am looking to improving this aspect of my game even more and I think that playing minutes in EuroLeague Women with Kosice and now at the Final Round, has given me the confidence I need."

Her rise to prominence can also be measured by the fact that she has jumped in front of a highly respected and talented player in Katerina Tetemondova.

Meanwhile, everyone associated with Slovak Republic women's basketball is thrilled her efforts are now gaining the wider recognition they deserve.

"It is about time her hard work was recognised outside of Slovak Republic," declared Daniel Jendrichovsky, the General Manager of Good Angels Kosice who also doubles up in the same role for the national team.

"She has worked so hard to get to this stage, having been very low after what happened.

"We couldn't more proud or happy for her," he added with a smile.

Kissova and Slovak Republic continue their Group F campaign against Russia in Gyor on Saturday.

Go to EuroBasketWomen2015.com for full coverage of EuroBasket Women 2015.

FIBA