The Super 10 Basketball League (SBL) has lauded the efforts of this country's senior women basketball players, who placed fifth at the Central American and Caribbean Games, culminating with a 70-61 win over Costa Rica in Mexico, on Sunday.
It was a tremendous turn-around for the women's team, which opened the competition with a loss by a 50-point margin to Cuba (86-36) and a subsequent defeat to the Dominican Republic (50-42), before winning three straight matches against Jamaica (59-50), Costa Rica (88-62) and El Salvador (70-61).
The final position marked T&T's best ever performance at the CAC Games in the sport, while rival Jamaica, the champion of the last competition, finished in eighth place.
The SBL has been the only platform for many of the national team players to hone and develop their skills via its annual women's competition, which was established in 2006.
With the inconsistency of zonal competitions, the SBL has been the lone stage for women basketball players.
SBL will host is upcoming competition from December 14, at the Jean Pierre Complex, Wrightson Road.
The national women's team has participated in every CBC Championships since 2008 and Centrobasket Tournaments from 2009, 2011 and 2012.
"This is the start that T&T basketball needed to moved away from the CBC and Centrobasket tournaments in its attempt to vie for more top quality competition that is recognised under the International Olympic Committee (IOC)," said SBL tournament director, Keith Clement, adding, "The leadership of the technical staff headed by coach Christopher Jackson Charles and team skipper Patrice Edwards must be commended."
The next stage is the Pan American Games and FIBA Americas tournament.
The team comprises coach Jackson, his assistant Shawn Ryan, team manager Arnold Thomas, captain Patrice Edwards, along with her teammates Rhea Codio, Jowan Ortega, Jenelle Richardson, Kielle Connelly, Alicia Cumberbatch, Samantha Wallace, Afeisha Noel, Alison Young and the Tobago pairing of Aniecia Baptiste and Doursiel Moore.