Former Maree and NUIG player Hazel Finn set for Ireland Senior debut

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Former Maree and NUIG player Hazel Finn set for Ireland Senior debut

Ireland women’s head coach James Weldon could hand senior debuts to three players when his side take on Latvia in Riga in their latest FIBA Women’s EuroBasket 2025 qualifier on Thursday evening.

21-year-old Hazel Finn (FloMAX Liffey Celtics), 19-year-old Caitlin Gloeckner (Cleveland Rockets) and 17-year-old Aisling Moran from (Trinity Meteors) are included for the game - which tips-off at 17:40 Irish time on the TG4 App and Player - having most recently represented Ireland at U20 and U18 level respectively.

Hazel Finn is a former Maree and University of Galway player who hails from Kiltimagh in Mayo. She is the daughter of former Mayo senior footballers John and Bernie Finn, while her sister Dayna also played Ladies' Football for Mayo and Basketball for Trinity Meteors, before heading to Australia last year to take up AFL with Carlton.

Weldon hands recalls to Alexandra Mulligan and Abigail Rafferty, who missed Ireland’s 64-60 friendly win over the Netherlands at the National Basketball Arena in August. Both players last featured for Ireland in a two-game friendly series with Uganda earlier this year.

Speaking following his squad announcement, Ireland women’s head coach James Weldon said: “I’m excited to have Hazel (Finn), Caitlin (Gloeckner) and Aisling (Moran) in the squad. All three have excelled for Ireland at underage level and they’ve started the National League season well with their respective teams. It’s difficult coming in for your first cap against a team such as Latvia, who have a number of players playing at a very high level across Europe, but I’ve no doubt that everyone in the squad is looking forward to meeting that challenge head on this Thursday evening.”

Latvia, who are ranked 28th in the latest FIBA Women’s World Rankings, sit in second position in Group E, two places ahead of Ireland. The winners of the eight qualifying groups and the four best-ranked runners-up will qualify for FIBA Women’s EuroBasket 2025.

Ireland’s other Group E fixture in this window is against Israel on Sunday (10^th November) at 12:15 Irish time. The game will once again take place at a neutral venue, at the Rimi Olympic Village in Riga.

Squad

Amy Dooley (Midlands Park Portlaoise Panthers), Hazel Finn (FloMAX Liffey Celtics), Caitlin Gloeckner (Cleveland Rockets), Bridget Herlihy (Unicaja,Spain) Kate Hickey (SETU Waterford Wildcats), Sarah Hickey (SETU Waterford Wildcats), Áine O’Connor (FloMAX Liffey Celtics), Aisling Moran (Trinity Meteors), Alexandra Mulligan (Trinity Meteors), Grace Prenter (Trinity Meteors), Abigail Rafferty (Oakland Wolves, England).