National Team Suffers Another Defeat Against Turkey

The Portuguese women's national basketball team suffered another defeat against Turkey, this time falling 56-44 in a friendly match played Saturday in Istanbul. This loss follows a previous encounter where the Turkish side also emerged victorious, with a 63-51 scoreline.

These two fixtures served as preparation for the upcoming second round of qualification for the 2027 Women's EuroBasket for the Portuguese squad.

Playing on home turf, the Turkish team demonstrated an overwhelming start, building a 12-point lead in the first quarter alone (14-2). Their dominance continued into the second period (14-9), allowing Turkey to head into halftime with a comfortable 28-11 advantage.

After the break, the home team further extended their lead with a 17-13 run in the third quarter. However, similar to the previous day's game, the Portuguese team, now under the guidance of new coach José Araújo, showed resilience in the fourth and final period, winning it 20-11 and narrowing the final deficit to 12 points.

Turkey's Tilbe Senyurek was the most influential player of the match, recording 13 points and six rebounds. For Portugal, point guard Carolina Rodrigues stood out, finishing the game with nine points and one rebound.

Following these two matches against Turkey, the 'Lynxes' will face Iceland twice more at the Rio Maior Sports Pavilion. The first game is scheduled for August 21st at 5:00 PM, with the second taking place the following day at 11:45 AM.

These four challenges will allow the new technical staff to work with the squad and begin preparations for their return to official competition.

Portugal will next compete on November 11th against Denmark on Danish soil, followed three days later, on November 14th, by an away fixture against Hungary. These matches are part of the second qualification round for the Women's EuroBasket 2027.