Great Britain’s U16 Women have begun their FIBA U16 Women’s EuroBasket 2026 Division B campaign in Giannina, Greece, with head coach Lauren Milligan leading a 12-player squad into a short, high-pressure tournament window.
Basketball England confirmed that GB were drawn in Group F alongside Iceland and Norway, with the competition running from 6-11 August. In a compact group format, every possession matters: a slow start can quickly shape the route through the classification rounds, while one strong performance can change the mood of the whole campaign.
The tournament is about more than results on the scoreboard. At U16 level, EuroBasket Division B is often the first major test of how young players handle international pace, physicality and scouting. For GB’s age-group programme, those minutes are valuable because they expose players to different styles of European basketball at a stage when development can accelerate quickly.
Milligan’s own background gives the campaign an added pathway angle. Basketball England noted that she previously represented Great Britain at youth level, meaning she is now guiding players through an environment she knows from the inside.
“It’s a real honour to lead this group into the European Championships,” Milligan said in the official announcement. “We’ve got a talented, committed group who have embraced the challenge throughout our preparation.”
The Iceland and Norway fixtures should give GB useful benchmarks. Both games require discipline at both ends: limiting transition chances, staying organised against pressure and finding reliable half-court scoring are usually decisive themes in youth international tournaments. For British prospects, this is also a chance to show adaptability against opponents who may play with different tempo and spacing from the domestic game.
GB’s U16 Women also form part of a busy summer for the national junior pathway, with Basketball England referencing U18 Men, U18 Women and U16 Men activity around the same period. That wider context matters. More consistent exposure to FIBA youth competition helps build depth across future senior teams, especially if players can carry tournament habits back into club, academy and school environments.
Whatever the final placing, the key measure for this group will be whether they grow through the week: sharper decision-making, stronger defensive communication and confidence against European opposition. For a young GB squad, Giannina is both a competition and a classroom.
Source: Basketball England.