Part III of a three-part deep dive into how Yvonne Anderson helped Serbia beat Brazil and earn a berth in the 2024 Olympic Games.
On Feb, 10, 2024, Serbia beat Brazil in the FIBA Women’s Olympic Qualifying Tournament and punched their tickets to Paris. That win wouldn’t have been possible without Yvonne Anderson, the 5-foot-6 guard born in Springdale, AR who handles the playmaking duties for the White Eagles, as the Balkan team is known. In this three-part deep dive, we get into Anderson’s performance that day, explain how she got there and what made her the player and the person that she is today.
In the third quarter, Serbia is up by four points when Anderson again drives to the basket with 6-foot-7 Kamilla Cardoso close behind. The Brazilian star of the South Carolina Gamecocks tries to reach Anderson, but despite an extended arm, the guard scores and makes the score 47-41.
With less than four minutes left in the quarter, Anderson rebounds the ball and dribbles up the court. Seeing an opening underneath the basket, she dribbles in front of Brazil’s Tainá Paixao, moves towards the low post, takes a step back and shoots a perfect fadeaway jumper. The ball goes in and Serbia keeps the six-point lead, 53-47. On playing point guard, Anderson shares:
It’s a huge responsibility, but it’s amazing to be the one with the ball in your hands that leads your team to a victory. To me what makes a great point guard is leadership. Knowing what your team needs to win, and making sure you guide your team in a way that makes that happen. Being able to get the ball to the right players, at the right time, in the right spots. Combine that with being able to find the gaps to create when that’s what the game calls for, making the correct reads on both offense and defense and keeping all of your teammates on the same page.
She knows what it takes to win and has the confidence to show her team the way to do it. When she joined the Serbian national team at age 30, she approached the experience with extraordinary humility. Asked about 2021 EuroBasket Women, which Serbia ended up winning, she says:
The EuroBasket championship in 2021 was just another part of my basketball story that no one, not even me, could have ever imagined would have happened. Playing with the amazing players on that team, for one of the best coaches in Europe and being able to do something special, while representing a country, was a blessing. I think it was just meant to be, I truly do. Individually, it was the first time I played with so many great players, who already knew how to win, and finding my fit was a process. I’m grateful that they gave me time and grace, and that, for the most part, it was a seamless fit. They believed in me, so that was the biggest part that allowed me to have those high individual moments. That team was already built to win, they were already successful and they just allowed me to try and add on to that. I wish we could have gotten that bronze medal [at the Tokyo Olympics], but what we did, considering the circumstances we did it under, was amazing. Every player on that roster knew what their role was, and they played it to perfection.
Two months after winning EuroBasket, Serbia finished fourth at the Olympics. In both the EuroBasket final and bronze medal game at the Olympics, they played against France. And in both, Anderson was their best scorer. Coach Maljković recalls:
Yvonne’s presence on the Serbian national team is not just a privilege, but a source of immense pride and honor for our country. Her dedication, skill and unwavering passion not only exemplify the best of Serbian basketball, but also serve as an inspiration to fans and teammates alike.
She’s again the best scorer for Serbia in Olympic qualifying in February 2024. But her effort might not be enough, as the two teams enter the fourth quarter just two points apart, with Serbia still up.
Not for long though, as a minute into the fourth quarter Brazil gets a three-point play which gives them a 57-56 lead. The atmosphere gets tense, the crowd gets loud. Anderson appears to get fouled when driving towards the basket, with a defender grabbing her forearm, but the referees rule the play a turnover. On the next play, she gets a foul called against her. Even Maljković begins to get frustrated, putting extra pressure on the referees. Making use of the momentum, Anderson forces an offensive foul. Brazil’s head coach, José Neto, respects that play and pats her on the head, with both of them smiling. But after Anderson’s next basket, a reverse layup from a bounce pass by Krajišnik, he gets angry and calls a timeout. Serbia is up 66-59 and the Olympics seem within reach for the Balkan team.
With a minute left in the game, Serbia has the ball and is still up by five points. Milking the clock, the team attempts a shot as the shot clock expires, which misses. However, Serbia’s Ivana Raca, who played five years at Wake Forest and was a third-round selection by the Los Angeles Sparks in 2021 WNBA Draft, is able to get the rebound. She then passes the ball to Anderson behind the 3-point line. Anderson recounted what happened next during a previous interview:
Anytime we get an offensive rebound and there isn’t an immediate shot or play solution, the ball comes back to me. I saw my defender was kind of sleeping (in my opinion), as was my screener’s defender. So I chose to use my speed, rejected the screen, did a quick change of direction and used a good downhill angle to my advantage. From there, I trusted she wouldn’t be able to catch me, and, fortunately for me, I made the correct read and finished.
The points were scored on Cardoso, who is almost a foot taller than Anderson. The guard crossed her and switched hands from right to left, extending her body so that the center wouldn’t block her. After making the basket, the guard drops to the floor, experiencing a minor contraction. Her right leg is extended in the air and her teammates help. With Serbia up 69-62 and 42 seconds left, there’s still minor hope for Brazil to win. And when Damiris Dantas, who is set to return to the WNBA as a member of the Indiana Fever for the 2024 season, scores an uncontested 3-pointer for Brazil, there’s 25 seconds on the game clock and just four points to make up.
The Brazilians decide not to foul the Serbians and the plan backfires. Serbia scores on a close layup and their lead is back to six points. They eventually win the game 72-65. There’s no celebrating, no fist-pumps, no shouts or anything. The bigger picture is that the triumph is still not enough for them to qualify. To be calm about progressing, they need to beat Australia. The Opals would have nothing to play for, as they already qualified after beating Germany earlier in the day.
The next day, however, Serbia loses to Australia by two points and now have to hope that Brazil doesn’t beat Germany by eight points or more. They stay in the arena and watch the game together. Germany surprisingly beats the hosts. The Serbians enter the court and finally celebrate. The relief is maybe stronger than the joy they feel at the moment. The joy will come when they will end up in the top three.
Serbia lock in their spot in #Paris2024 #FIBAOQT pic.twitter.com/K4N07Lz3ev
— FIBA (@FIBA) February 12, 2024
Not bad for a girl from Springdale, whose dream always was to play basketball. Anderson never diverged from her path and never stopped loving the sport, even though sometimes that love seemed unrequited.
I always say I never had a choice to play basketball because I fell in love with it from the beginning. I was always in the gym, and it became such a huge part of my life, I never had a chance to imagine doing anything else.
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