Iziane and Bassul, in happier days.
With the election of Carlos Nunes to the presidency of the Brazilian Basketball Confederation, there might be some big changes in Brazilian basketball - and the first change might be Paulo Bassul losing his job.
Paulo Bassul, if you recall, was the coach of the Brazilian women's Olympic basketball team. Last summer, he put Iziane Castro Marques on the bench, and when he asked her to come back on the court during an overtime period, she refused. She stated that she wasn't warmed up anymore, but there was clearly bad blood between Bassul and Castro Marques and the Brazilian press had a field day.
Nunez knows that Iziane is one of the best players in Brazil, and likely, he wants to see Iziane back on the Brazilian team. He might make the decision that it's easier to get a new coach than to get a new player.
My understanding is that Hortência - one of the all-time great Brazilian women's basketball players - is going to represent women's basketball on behalf of the Confederation. She was on Bassul's side in the dispute, but she might contact Castro Marques - who is vacationing in Maranhão - and ask her to return to the national team.
Iziane might indeed return. But can she and Paulo Bassul coexist on the same team?
(Heads up to the Painel do Basquete Femenino blog.)
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