Women’s Basketball Bundesliga: Alba’s basketball players celebrate championship titles until late into the night

Lena Gohlisch is not just the captain of the Alba Berlin basketball team. She is also a practicing doctor. On Thursday morning she had to be at her workplace on time because patients don’t like to wait. They probably don’t care that Gohlisch became German champion for the first time the day before. So the leader gave her team the direction on the party night from Wednesday to Thursday: “Nobody leaves the bar before me, because I have to be the first out tomorrow.” Her 19-year-old teammate Leonie Kreyenfeld did. »At some point I sneaked past her. I’ll be writing my final exam in the advanced math course on Tuesday next week. “There’s a bit of work to be done,” she told “nd”.

Regardless of whether they were doctors, students or professionals, all Alba Berlin players wanted to celebrate this title properly because it was the first German championship for each of them. But it wasn’t just inexperience that made the 68:53 win in the decisive fifth duel with the defending champions from Keltern a small sensation. Alba only started promoting his women professionally in 2019, when the team was playing in the third division. Despite the Corona break, the Berliners had already arrived in the Bundesliga in 2022, and just two years later they are now German champions.

Leonie Kreyenfeld has completely followed this development. She moved to Alba when the club, previously only known for its men’s team, announced that it would forego cheerleaders and instead invest its resources in female basketball players. »I was immediately excited by that. But I never dreamed that I would become champion five years later. I was happy when I made it into the second division team at 15,” said the winger.

Alba himself justifies his rapid rise by not having invested his money in high salaries for foreign professionals. »Instead, we brought the women closer to the men’s professional environment. “You now train in the same hall, in the same weight room, with the same individual trainers,” says sports director Himar Ojeda, describing the philosophy. At times there were four German players on the field on Wednesday, three of whom came through Alba’s youth ranks. Keltern only had two Germans in the entire squad.

For Alba, this approach is easier to pursue because the infrastructure was already in place for the eleven-time men’s champion. Nevertheless, money had to be invested in away trips, hotel accommodation and a coaching staff. Of course, a few professionals were also hired, but in the second year of the Bundesliga, the club is already working more professionally in women’s basketball than any of its other competitors. By the way, the party was also celebrated in the same hotel as the last men’s title in 2022.

Another development factor is the venue. Instead of continuing to play in a training hall in front of a maximum of 400 people on the sidelines, after promotion they went looking for their own arena – and found the outdated Sömmeringhalle in Charlottenburg. At the end of the season it was completely sold out several times: 2,400 people, mostly young families, came regularly to cheer on Alba’s women – unique in German basketball. “Many people said that no one wanted to come to women’s basketball,” Ojeda recalled. »But the team has attracted more and more people. This support now made the difference. I am sure of that.”

Now Ojeda will soon have to decide whether Alba will play in the European Cup next season. Sponsors would have to cover the increasing travel costs because “we can only spend the money we have.” For Leonie Kreyenfeld, the next big dream that she didn’t even have two years ago will come true. At their age, German talent usually goes to a college in the USA to improve. She also wants to study, “but I tend to stay with Alba. I’m not ready to leave this path yet.” This is probably the biggest proof that Alba is on the right path.