Great Britain U16 Women

Mojan Malek

Great Britain U16 Women · 26 min★★★★★

22 pts10 reb2 ast68.0 TIB EFF

Mojan Malek finished the classification stage with a commanding 22 points, 10 rebounds, 2 assists, 5 steals and 1 block in 26 minutes, shooting 8 of 16 from the floor and 3 of 7 from three-point range. Our GB U16 Women's side put Ireland away with a 91–63 win in Ioannina, a 28-point margin that reflected the gap in class across the two squads. The result concludes our campaign in Division B. Malek's two-way work — the steals and rebound volume alongside the scoring efficiency — typified what it took to win convincingly at this level, and her presence in the second half made the outcome less competitive than it ever looked like being. A functional finish to the tournament for the group.

Great Britain's U16 Women never trailed in a 28-point rout of Ireland, establishing complete control from the opening tip and turning the classification game into a one-sided affair. Our GB led 31–12 after the first quarter and extended that advantage to 48–29 by half-time. Ireland mounted a brief second-quarter push, rattling off 11 unanswered points mid-period to cut the deficit to 18, but it proved too little to shift the momentum. Great Britain's third quarter was decisive: a 25-point haul stretched the lead to 31 points at 73–42, effectively settling the contest. Ireland salvaged some pride with a 19-point fourth quarter, but the outcome had long been decided by then. Mojan Malek led our GB with a commanding double-double: 22 points on 8/16 shooting, 10 rebounds, 5 steals and a block. Chantelle Okoli added 20 points on efficient 5/10 two-point shooting and 8/10 free throws, while Sytira Smith chipped in 10 points on a perfect 1/2 from the field and 8/11 from the stripe. For Ireland, Sorcha Kelly's 14 points on 5/6 free-throw accuracy was their brightest spark, though the wider offensive struggles—Ireland shot just 25% from three-point range—proved fatal against a GB side that shot the ball with precision throughout.

Sytira Smith has been running the show for our GB side — 13.5 points per game and a TIB efficiency rating of 25.3 that sits well clear of the division. Against her stands Mia Dunne, the Ireland U16 Women's anchor, though the gulf in recent form is stark: Dunne averaging 5 points with a 12.5 efficiency mark tells the story of two very different trajectories into this tie. Great Britain U16 Women arrive as the clear favourites on the numbers, but youth tournaments are rarely decided by averages alone. Ireland will look to disrupt, to force Smith into difficult looks, and to build something around Dunne's role — whatever that may be in a matchup where possession and floor control could matter as much as individual brilliance. Tip-off at Neo Kleisto Ioanninon in Ioannina. Watch it live.

Berglind Katla Hlynsdóttir

Iceland U16 Women · 33 min★★★★★

31 pts6 reb3 ast70.5 TIB EFF

Berglind Katla Hlynsdóttir carved through our GB defence for 31 points, adding 6 rebounds, 3 assists and 4 steals as Iceland pulled away in the second half to win 72–59 in Ioannina. The Icelandic forward was efficient and relentless. She controlled space, moved well off the ball, and made the simple reads when the defence collapsed around her. Our GB side competed in stretches but couldn't sustain the defensive intensity needed to limit her impact on both ends—Hlynsdóttir's theft count reflects how often she turned over possessions in transition. The gap widened as the game wore on. Iceland's execution in transition and their ability to get stops fed directly into their scoring rhythm, with Hlynsdóttir at the centre of it. Our GB players will take the film review seriously and regroup for the next fixture.

Iceland pulled clear in the second quarter and never looked back, outscoring our GB side 19–14 after the break to build a 41–36 lead they would stretch to 13 by the final buzzer. A tie at 22–22 after one gave way to a decisive 12–0 run that shifted momentum entirely; Iceland's defence tightened and our shooting rhythm never returned. Berglind Katla Hlynsdóttir led Iceland's charge with 31 points on 9/22 shooting, including 4-of-11 from deep, and her presence on the boards (6 rebounds) and in transition kept the pressure constant. Run Sveinbjornsdottir's all-round work—15 points, 10 rebounds, 6 assists, 7 steals—proved equally vital, a relentless two-way performance that our frontcourt couldn't contain. Mojan Malek was our standout, finishing with a double-double of 15 points and 14 rebounds while adding 5 steals, but the shooting volume (4/14 from the field, 5/12 from free throw) reflected our wider struggles. Sytira Smith chipped in 13 points on cleaner 3/8 shooting, yet it wasn't enough to overcome Iceland's third and fourth quarter control. Grace Alexander managed 9 points but couldn't find her rhythm from three (3/11). The gap widened from five at halftime to 13 by the end—a controlled Icelandic performance that leaves our GB side with work ahead in this tournament.

Berglind Katla Hlynsdóttir has been running at a different tempo altogether — 33 points per game and a TIB Efficiency rating of 100 makes her the standout operator in this division so far. Chantelle Okoli has been our GB side's anchor, averaging 21 points with a 24 TIB rating, but Iceland's captain is operating on another scale entirely. The gap in playmaking tells its own story. Hlynsdóttir has orchestrated four assists per game; Okoli hasn't recorded one over the same stretch. That's not a slight — it reflects how our attack has been structured — but it underscores how complete Iceland's threat is heading in. They'll be favoured on this evidence alone. Our GB squad will need to find answers on the glass and in transition defence. Hlynsdóttir punishes space, and if Iceland's shooters get comfortable early, this becomes a runaway contest. Okolski's consistency could be the tether that keeps us in it. Tip-off in three hours. Watch how our GB side adjusts.

Norway edged our GB side in a tense finish, holding on 65–60 after squandering a commanding 18-point lead in the third quarter. The Norwegians started sharp, leading 21–17 after one. Our GB team answered hard in the second, ripping off a 13-0 run to build a 12-point advantage (24–36) and reach half-time up one at 37–36. Norway seized control in the third, outscoring us 19–6 to move 55–43 ahead. That cushion proved less comfortable than it looked. Great Britain rallied in the fourth, outscoring them 17–10, and stayed within a possession with under two minutes to play — but couldn't complete the comeback. Julie Lindmark Engebretsen led Norway with 28 points on efficient 10/20 shooting, plus four from three. Nora Svenningsen grabbed a double-double with 15 points and 12 rebounds, despite poor accuracy (3/17). For our GB team, Chantelle Okoli finished with 21 points and 9 rebounds on 8/18 from the field, whilst Sytira Smith added 14 points. Mojan Malek pulled down 11 rebounds but couldn't get much going offensively (2/9). Our GB side travel to face Iceland on Saturday — a chance to respond after a second-half collapse cost them here.

Omland's playmaking nous will draw the first real test for Thompson's efficiency rating. Norway's Mia Omland has found her rhythm in the tournament — 19 points and 4 assists per game, a steady hand threading the offence alongside her own scoring load. But our GB's Athena Thompson has been the sharper operator: 19.2 points on a 56.3 efficiency rating that marks her as the standout talent on either roster so far. Thompson's ball security (2.4 assists) won't match Omland's distributor's touch, but the metrics suggest our side has found the more reliable scoring option. This fixture hinges on Great Britain's ability to lean on Thompson's consistency while managing Omland's range. Norway won't lie down — neither side has arrived at Division B's knockout stage by accident — but Thompson's form gives us the clearer pathway through. Tip-off in three hours. Watch it live.