Howdy,FIBA EuroBasket Women tournament began Saturday in Poland, and it's kind of a big deal — the winner earns an automatic bid to the 2012 Summer Olympics.86-40. She led France to the gold medal at the 2009 EuroBasket championship.79-69. Sancho Lyttle, Atlanta's starting power forward, added eight points. It bears watching how the Dream will fare without her and reserve center Yelena Leuchanka, especially since they're off to a slow start. They lost without both Friday night at Minnesota, 96-85, and are 1-4.55-40.

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The Connecticut Sun holds the rights to three international players taking part in the tournament — Sandrine Gruda (France), Johannah Leedham (Great Britain) and Alba Torrens (Spain) — so it makes sense to track their performances.

Gruda has played three seasons with the Sun and is taking this summer off to rest having played year-round. Neither Leedham nor Torrens has played with Connecticut.

Torrens, who led Halcon Avenida to the 2010-11 FIBA EuroLeague championship, is open to joining the Sun after the tournament ends (it runs to July 3).

Gruda had 12 points and a game-high eight rebounds and three blocks in just 19 minutes as France beat Croatia,

Torrens had a team-high 18 points with four assists and three rebounds as Spain beat Germany,

Leedham shot 2-of-9 for four points with three rebounds, three turnovers and two assists as Belarus downed Great Britain,

Vaya con dios….