BLMA: “I hope that next year we will have a larger squad”, after the defeat at Villeneuve d’Ascq, Romane Berniès takes stock

La meneuse de jeu s'est confiée en conférence de presse. Midi Libre – Michael Esdourrubailh

Swept away in Villeneuve d'Ascq (103-67) after the slap received to go, the BLMA was no match for the European vice-champion. Disappointed, captain Romane Berniès spoke at a press conference after the match.

Despite a very good start in the North (14-28), the Gazelles suffered over time from the physical intensity and depth of the ESBVA bench. Like last season, the BLMA ended in the semi-final, a situation which bothered Romane Berniès. The emblematic playmaker of the Gazelles, and of the French team, put words to the problems.

Quel début de match TONITRUANT du @BasketLMA ! 🤯

Les Gazelles mènent de 14 points à la fin du 1er quart-temps au Palacium. Quelle énergie, ça nous promet un très gros match sur Sport en France 🔥@basketlfb #LaChainedeTousLesSports pic.twitter.com/CSn9B2xNFr

— Sport en France (@sport_en_france) May 5, 2024

"The score is very very heavy. It really hurts. We wanted to show another face but not take sixty, that's what we said… I'm happy with our first half but in a match like that, we knew very well that they were going to react, that we had to remain solid and keep the same intensity. But we exploded in mid-flight", notes number 47.

"We also pay for the few rotations we can have, the season and the fact that we are at minus thirty. It’s a whole that makes us take thirty. Villeneuve is a steamroller. Even when pushed, they did not panic. When one player goes out and another comes in, we don't see the difference. They are fresh in the right moments, they take the right shots.

Also read: LFB: "A pride for the club and me", BLMA captain Romane Berniès speaks before the match at the Arena

We did as well in the championship as last year, we did better in the Coupe de France and the European Cup. I find it hard to say that it's positive because it sucks to end up like that and not to have won anything", adds the one wearing the jersey of BLMA for seven seasons and which saw this year, in high season, the departures to Turkey of two incumbents: Julie Vanloo and Marième Badiane.

"We gave what we had to give"

"I'm proud of us in the first half, we gave what we had to give. That's twice we've taken a pill against them in the semi-finals, it's up to us to remember that. To fight with Basket Landes or Villeneuve, we would need at least two more players", asks, worn out by her 33 minutes on the floor of the Palacium, the player of the team from France.

Also read: PODCAST. Paris 2024 Olympic Games: meeting Romane Berniès for a new episode of Seeds of Champions

With a 4/12 on the shoot and 5 lost balls, “Romy” did not have his best match this season: "Me first, I don't have a good match and sometimes I deserve to be on the bench but I can't because there is no one behind. This is not necessarily good for the team.

"I hope that next year we will have a larger workforce, she predicts, so that the season ends and a new deadline arrives for her: the Olympic Games in Paris. I'm going to be a little selfish: I'm not hurt, that's the main thing."