Mayo basketballer Finn entering new era with Ireland
Kiltimagh native Hazel Finn is currently in Azerbaijan on duty for Ireland in the FIBA Women's EuroBasket 2029 qualifiers and entering a new era with a new manager.
There’s no rest for Hazel Finn. In April, the basketball star from Mayo helped Trinity Meteors to a National League win in her first year playing for the Dublin outfit.
Back then, the Irish international from Kiltimagh helped win the club's first ever Domino's Women's Super League title. In a thrilling final in the National Basketball Arena Dublin, Meteors edged a fantastic UCC Glanmire team 87-81 in a game that ebbed and flowed until the final minute.
But there was no summer break in a traditional sense for Finn afterwards. She was basically playing 3v3 basketball for Ireland throughout the summer. And then it was straight into the new season with Meteors.
Currently, she is on duty for Ireland on a 3-game international window in the FIBA Women's EuroBasket 2029 qualifiers. On Wednesday, Ireland lost 71-83 to Iceland:
“Iceland were a good matchup for us,” analysed Finn: “We have a lot of quick guards, they have a lot of quick guards. They had one or two big posts and we have plenty of tough posts as well, so we did match up, but we just didn't come out on top of the end. I suppose that would benefit us as well, not coming out on top, it would push us more for these next two games now.”
The match against Iceland was played in front of a great crowd in the National Arena Dublin.
“It's always lovely playing at home, it makes such a difference having the crowd behind us and the amount of young girls and boys there supporting us and our families as well,” Finn said, speaking to The Mayo News on the phone from Baku, Azerbaijan, where Ireland are preparing themselves for their next challenge.
“It was huge, having the crowd in Dublin behind you. Playing for your country is always the highlight of the whole day. They were cheering us on and then obviously the aftermath of as well, meeting the young girls and boys and having your family there as well, it's brilliant.
Ireland have a new manager, Thomas Garlepp. The match tomorrow, Saturday, 10am (Irish time) in Azerbaijan, will be his next chance to get the first win with Ireland.
“It's a brand new team, it's a new management and it takes time, but it's been absolutely brilliant,” Finn acknowledges: “Tom has been excellent to us. He coaches in a different way, which is something that's great for a new team. We have a younger team this year, but I think it's been very beneficial for us and it's going to bring on a lot of new girls as well.”
The Irish squad made the 5,500km journey to their base on Thursday. It’s not an easy gig, playing 3 international matches within the space of seven days, as Hazel Finn explains:
“To get here, we took our first flight on Thursday, from Dublin at 11 and then we landed in Frankfurt at about 2 and then we had to get another flight then to Azerbaijan at 5. And that was about 4 and a half hours. So we didn't actually get to Baku (capital of Azerbaijan) until 2am last night, Azerbaijan time but it was 10 o'clock Irish time. It's tough going in all fairness but you just need to keep fuelling, you just need to get as much sleep as you can and when you get to the hotel, recovery is one of the main things.”
The match against Azerbaijan will be live on TG4 on Saturday morning, November 14, coverage starting from 9.50am.