Toulouse. Mandatory reaction for Toulousaines
Toulouse Métropole Basket must quickly forget its failure in Alsace last week and return to victory tonight at the small sports center against Nantes.
> The essential
After their short defeat (65-64) at Illkirch-Graffenstaden last week, Toulouse must react by dominating the new club Nantes-Rezé, born from the merger of the former, relegated from LFB in the spring, and de Saint-Paul Rezé, resident of Ligue 2 for several seasons.
> The championship
The underdogs have overtaken the favorites. While we are quickly waiting for the TMB, Reims, or even Mondeville or Montbrison, in the first places of the standings, it is two outsiders who are installed at the helm of the dense women’s Ligue 2. Chartres, leader, and his runner-up Strasbourg Illkirch-Graffenstaden, winner of Toulous MB, the only undefeated after three days. Even if they will argue that this duo benefits from a favorable calendar (Chartres is passing a very serious test this evening in Reims) the facts are there.
Xavier Noguera’s players must make people forget their Alsatian failure by dominating Nantes-Rezé that they would move away from the fight in the first places.
> Gillespie must weigh more in attack
The stats of the American TMB do not correspond to what we expect of a foreign player (2.7 points, 3.3 rebounds and 4.2 average rating for, after 3 games, 18 minutes of playing time). Endowed, according to its trainer “with a big basketball IQ” it must be more effective to create an additional danger in attack.
> Well-filled infirmaries
They are well filled for the start of the season and this time it is not the fault of the coronavirus. Lorraine Lokoka is still uncertain following her minor surgery. The risk of making her resume competition too early will not be taken. Hélène Jakovljevic’s sprained thumb becomes a soap opera. His return to the prosecution, missed in Alsace, is certainly for this evening.
On the Nantes-Rezé side, it’s more serious. Barely back from AfroBasket (hello hellish pace!), Ivorian international Kani Kouyaté (12 rebounds, 9 points on March 27 at the Petit Palais during TMB’s 71-56 victory over Saint-Paul Rezé) s ‘is seriously injured in Reims (total rupture of the Achilles heel). His season is over.
