Belgian Cats Narrowly Lose to Italy in World Cup Warm-Up After Late Comeback
The Belgian Cats opened their preparation phase for the upcoming world championship with a defeat against Italy, suffering from a disastrous opening half. According to Sporza and Het Laatste Nieuws, the team launched a fierce second-half comeback that ultimately fell just short as the roster was missing WNBA players and the injured Marie Vervaet.
First-Half Collapse Derails Opening Exhibition
Playing their first friendly fixture on the road to the global tournament, the Belgian squad dug themselves into a massive hole early. According to match reports from Sporza, the players bluntly characterized the opening twenty minutes by admitting, “De 1e helft was echt verschrikkelijk” (The first half was truly terrible). The slow start forced the national team to chase the game against a sharp Italian side.
Basketball Belgium confirmed that the roster is currently operating under personnel constraints. Julie Vanloo’s status is being monitored “van dag tot dag” (day to day), while Marie Vervaet is sidelined due to injury. Compounding the rotation issues, the team’s WNBA-contracted players were unavailable for the two-game series against Italy.
The Mechanics of the Second-Half Surge
Despite the dismal start, the tactical adjustments after intermission sparked a notable turnaround. The late-game surge sliced Italy’s lead, but the early deficit proved insurmountable before the final buzzer sounded.
Roster Recovery and World Championship Ambitions
Looking ahead to the global stage, Elise Ramette offers a clearer picture of the squad’s long-term trajectory. At 27 years old, Ramette recently balanced academic graduation with surgical recovery, positioning herself fully fit for her second World Championship appearance with the Belgian Cats. Speaking to Nieuwsblad, Ramette outlined the program’s ultimate benchmark: “Een eerste mondiale medaille is stiekem de ambitie” (A first global medal is secretly the ambition).
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