BRNO (Czechia) - Ballers at the FIBA U19 Women's Basketball World Cup 2025 will be able to lean on the experience and know-how of former stars Sonja Vasic and Ivana Vecerova after the duo were appointed FIBA Mentors for the Players' Workshop at the tournament. The event will focus on both 'Goal Setting' and Social Media, with Vasic and Vecerova ready to offer their insights and raise awareness of potential issues and solutions with attendees.
Now an embedded part of every global FIBA youth event, the themed Players' Workshops already have a superb and established track record of supporting and educating young ballers, with this year set to be no different.
Vasic is a FIBA Central Board Member and Deputy Chair of the FIBA Players' Commission, having enjoyed a stellar playing career.
She played at the 2019 Worlds as Serbia took bronze and was at the heart of her country's historic FIBA Women's EuroBasket title success in 2015, prior to being crowned MVP at the 2021 edition when she won gold again. A driving force on Olympic debut with a bronze at Rio 2016, Vasic is also a multiple EuroLeague Women champion.
"I am really excited to be part of the workshop and meet the future of women basketball off the court as well," revealed Vasic. "As somebody who has played at the FIBA U19 Basketball World Cup, I am aware of the turning point it represents for young player's careers." She added: "I am looking forward to sharing with them some valuable inputs and experiences."
Meanwhile former Czechia star Vecerova is graduate of the FIBA Players' Mentorship Program and knows the city of Brno well, having also performed the draw for this year's flagship event.
A two-time Olympian who also played at twice at the FIBA Women's Basketball World Cup, she also stepped out at five editions of the FIBA Women's EuroBasket and was a champion at the 2005 edition. Then just 12 months later, she was also crowned a EuroLeague Women champion with Gambrinus Brno. "Life is a path - whether it's sport or anything else," explained Vecerova. "It's like a puzzle of an infinite number of pieces. There is no goal line. Mentoring and workshops are one of the possibilities to find your own puzzle piece and make your picture fuller." The Players' Workshop will take place on a rest day at the tournament.
FIBA