Jasmine Smate one rebound short of triple-double as Latvia's U18 women finish eighth in Europe

Latvia's U18 women's basketball team lost to Italy 68:82 in Stockholm on Sunday, August 9, closing out the European Championship in eighth place. The standout performer was Jasmine Smate, who posted 12 points, 11 assists and seven rebounds, coming close to a triple-double.

An unusual build-up

Head coach Rudolfs Rozitis led the team through an unconventional preparation period. During test matches in China, at times only two players from the 2024 U16 squad — Arta Ulle and Ieva Vevere — were on the court. Six players made their European Championship debut when the squad traveled to Sweden in late July, while several other players had been committed to other national youth teams until mid-July, reflecting how packed the international youth calendar is.

Workload management shaped the lineup

Mila Luzgina and Sarlote Skrebele had been carrying heavy playing loads in other tournaments recently, so the coaching staff decided to rest both of them for Sunday's game against Italy following Saturday's match. The starting five against Italy featured Smate, Ozola, Plorina, Ozolina and Vevere.

How the game unfolded

The lineup changes affected Latvia's offensive output — the team shot 72% on two-point attempts in the first half but missed all nine of its three-point attempts. Italy led 51:34 at halftime. Latvia's paint defense held up at a similar level to earlier in the tournament, but Italy shot 70% on two-pointers for the entire game and hit 40% of its three-pointers in the first half. Ozolina, Plorina, Vevere and Smate were the most active in attack, but Italy's greater squad depth ultimately tipped the balance in its favor.