ANALYSIS AND ASSESSMENT OF THE COMPETITIVE PERFORMANCE OF THE NATIONAL WOMEN'S BASKETBALL TEAM UNDER 16 YEARS OLD

Conducting high-efficiency control over the competitive performance of basketball players is one way to identify key characteristics and assess their game efficiency. The aim of this study is to optimize the training process of female basketball players from the National Team under 16 years old by analysing and evaluating their competitive performance during the European Championship – Division B, held in Konya (Turkey) in the period August 15-24, 2024. To achieve the goals and objectives of this study, the following research methods were applied: review and analysis of specialized literature, observation and recording of competitive efficiency using 15 game indicators. The results obtained from the study were processed using alternative analysis, variance analysis, and sigma evaluation method. The analysis reveals that eight of the examined indicators have scores below average for teams of this age group. Basketball players face issues related to the following aspects of competitive efficiency: overall shooting success, three-point zone shooting, free throw line shooting, attempts for two-point zone shots and executed free throws, defensive rebounds, as well as steals and blocked shots. To improve competitive performance, future training processes for the Bulgarian team should include more diverse exercises for fighting under the basket, improving accuracy of close-range shooting and free throws, as well as enhancing the speed and coordination of upper and lower limb movements during defence play.