There was plenty of drama and talking points on opening night of the FIBA Women’s EuroBasket 2027 Qualifiers as 26 teams all stepped onto the court to start their journey towards trying to book their place the next edition of the famous tournament.

Croatia took the headlines by winning a thriller against Greece, while Slovenia also came out on top in their crunch clash against Latvia which could prove pivotal in the final shake-up.

Elsewhere, North Macedonia won a nail-biter against Denmark and Israel came from behind to win a shootout in Bosnia and Herzegovina.

The eagerly-anticipated debut of Nika Muhl for Croatia proved to be worth the wait as the fan favorite led her team to a priceless and perhaps surprise 76-73 Group F victory against Greece.

The road win was founded on the guard’s excellent 21 points, 7 assists and leadership – as well as her team’s scorching start to the second half.

That gave them the cushion they needed to cling onto a vital victory, although it was marred when Muhl had to leave the court injured in the closing minutes. Croatia will also be thankful to Ana-Marija Begic who is only just back from injury herself. She played a perfect cameo with 10 points, 9 rebounds and 3 steals, with Shavonte Zellous also influential with 11 points and 11 rebounds.

Also in Group F, a three-pronged attack for North Macedonia helped them edge a nail-biting 79-78 success against Denmark. Andjelika Mitrashinovikj stepped up with a fabulous 14 points and 11 assists, Ilina Selcova was a rock with 17 points, 5 boards and 3 assists, while Merritt Hempe wrote the headlines with 25 points and 6 rebounds.