France 125-24 Ireland
Ireland were defeated 125-24 by Olympic silver medallists France in Chalon Sur Saône on Thursday in Group E of FIBA Women’s EuroBasket 2025 qualifiers.
Ireland’s task was always going to be difficult against a side ranked third in the world, who had eight of the 12 players that lost by a single point to the USA in last year’s Olympic final in their squad.
But it could be a scarring defeat for Ireland ahead of a home clash with Latvia on Sunday.
France certainly showed their class throughout, racing to a 37-7 lead by the end of the first quarter.
Valeriane Ayayi hit eight points and three rebounds, but the scoring was evenly spread, making Ireland’s defensive task all the…