USF Athletics

Laksa to Represent Latvia in FIBA World Cup

September 21, 2018

 
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TENERIFE, Spain, Sept 21, 2018 –Senior Kitija Laksa from Riga, Latvia, will represent her home country of Latvia in the FIBA Women's Basketball World Cup in Tenerife, Spain, the biggest tournament in the women's game, beginning Sept. 22. 
 
Every four years, the FIBA Women's Basketball World Cup brings together the 16 best teams from across FIBA's four regions, Africa, Americas, Asia and Europe. This will be the 18^thWorld Cup and is regarded as the biggest international women's basketball competition. 
 
This is the first time in Latvia's history the European country has qualified for the World Cup, after finishing in sixth place at the EuroBasket in 2017. Laksa hopes to help her country make history by winning its first World Cup game. Laksa and Latvia are predicted No. 10 in the final FIBA Power Rankings, with Laksa touted to bring the offensive pressure. 
 
"There's no other feeling than representing my country," Kitija Laksa said. "Every time I put on my jersey and sing the national anthem before a game I get the jitters. I'm proud to be Latvia, I'm thankful to have the opportunity to represent Latvia and I'm very excited for the World Cup!" 
 
Latvia will open Saturday morning at 6 a.m. ET against China in the kick-off game in the World Cup. The World Cup will take place across two venues, the Pabellón de Deportes de Tenerife Santiago Martin in San Cristóbal de La Laguna and the Palacio Municipal de los Deportes Quico Cabrera in Santa Cruz de Tenerife. 
 
Sixteen countries will compete for the 2018 World Cup, slated into four groups, A through D. Laksa and Latvia are in Group D, and will compete against defending-champions USA, AfroBasket runners-up Senegal and China. 
 
The group phase will run from Saturday Sept. 22 until Tuesday Sept. 25, before quarterfinal qualifiers will compete on Wednesday Sept. 26. The quarterfinals will commence on Friday Sept. 28, before the semifinals on Saturday Sept. 29. The World Cup will be awarded Sunday Sept. 30. 
 
On Sunday Sept. 23, Laksa and Latvia will take on Senegal at 9 a.m. ET. Latvia will round out group play when it takes on USA at 1 p.m. ET. Laks will look to take on the 12-woman roster for USA, which features 12 current WNBA players including Diana Taurasi, Brittney Griner, Elena Delle Donne, and Sue Bird. Should Latvia qualify out of Group D, they will compete Wednesday Sept. 26. 
 
The 16 countries are Korea, Greece, Canada and France (Group A), Australia, Turkey, Argentina and Nigeria (Group B), Japan, Puerto Rico, Belgium, and Spain, while Latvia, USA, Senegal and China (Group D) round out the competition. 
 
The games will be broadcast live on LiveBasketball.TV. 
 
With USF, Laksa broke the junior scoring record with 717 points in her junior season. She set two NCAA records in 2017-18, including free-throw percentage with 96.5 percent efficiency, and consecutive three-pointers made in a game with 11 on Dec. 15, 2017. The Riga, Latvia native averaged 21.1 points per game on the year and returns in 2018-19 as the Bulls' leading scorer for her senior season. 
 
Laksa currently ranks sixth in program history on the all-time scoring list, amassing 1,715 points in her career. She will chase the all-time scoring record at USF in 2018-19, currently held by Jessica Dickson (2003-07) with 2,402 points. 
 
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USF notched its sixth consecutive 20-win season and fourth straight NCAA Tournament appearance in 2017-18. It marked the ninth 20-win season in program history, with head coach Jose Fernandez at the helm for all nine. The Bulls posted 26 wins in 2017-18, just shy of the program record of 27 set in 2008-09 and 2014-15. 
 
USF has made 14 postseason tournament appearances and had six NCAA Tournament berths in head coach Jose Fernandez's 18 seasons. The all-time winningestcoach in program history, Fernandez has guided USF to nine 20-win seasons, two WNITfinal four appearances, the 2009 WNITchampionship and won more than 300 games.