TEAM Montenotte Glanmire will be without the services of former Irish international Claire Rockall this season, writes MARY WHITE.
The Galway-born star is to undergo knee surgery next month having sustained an ACL injury in the basketball Intervarsities earlier this year whilst representing University College Cork.
The basketball season gets underway this weekend, with a preseason women’s tournament at the National Basketball Stadium in Tallaght, while Glanmire’s SuperLeague campaign kicks off Saturday week when they take on Meteors in their new venue of Upper Glanmire Sports Hall (7pm).
This summer the former cup and league champions have enlisted retired WNBA star Andrea Congreaves from England to coach the side this year, and despite the absence of Rockall, they’the sidere is bolstered by the return of former Irishnternational star Marie Breen, and will be skippered by Gráinne Dwyer.
In tomorrow’s pre-season tournament theyGlanmire will face Liffey Celtics at 1.15pm and Meteors at 3pm, while their Cork rivals Brunell will take on DCU at 11.45am and Killester at 3.30pm.
The quarter-finals will take place tomorrow evening, with the semi-finals and finals aredown for decision on Sunday at 10am, noon and 2pm respectively.
Meanwhile, in Wednesday’s National Cup draw, Brunell drew reigning champions UL, and Team Montenotte will face Meteors in the quarter-finals on December 8/9.
Team Montenotte Glanmire 2012/2013: Á McKenna, N Dwyer, G Dwyer (C), V O’Driscoll, M Breen, L Sullivan, A O’Regan, K Bland, K McAuliffe, R O’Shea, N O’Regan, L Falvey, A Dunlea and K Walsh. Coaches: Andrea Congreaves, Joe O’Meara and Jodi Furlong. 
 
See Cork Sports World in Friday’s Evening Echo for a six-page basketball special full interview with former WNBA star Andrea Congreaves.