Alba Berlin sets the next exclamation mark with the cup victory

The first one goes straight in. Even with the second throw she doesn’t lose her nerve – another hit. The hall is raging. Svenja Bruckhorst, Olympic champion and Alba manager, jumps up cheering before the final whistle. 67:62. The final score remains. Alba wins the DBBL Cup for the first time.

“Two titles in four years is okay,” says Brunckhorst a few minutes later. She has put on a dark blue cup winners’ shirt and is talking about the development of the team, which has only been playing in the first league since 2022. After the championship two years ago, many would have thought that Alba would dominate German women’s basketball from now on, but developments in sport are rarely linear, but rather curves with swings up and down.

Bruckhorst is not deterred by this: “We go our way at our own pace and have a bigger, bigger goal.” And the team showed at the weekend that Alba is on the right track, even though the pressure in front of the home crowd was great.

Despite the good weather, more than 4,500 basketball fans made their way to the Sömmeringhalle in Charlottenburg at the weekend. The first ones could already be seen at the Jungfernheide station, many in blue and yellow, the colors of Alba.

An overtime crime thriller is not enough

3 p.m., kick-off. Alba Berlin will face Saarlouis in the semi-finals, a repeat of last year’s duel. At that time, Alba still went into the game as the favorite. But after defeats in the cup semi-finals, in the play-off semi-finals and in the current league, the Royals are considered the stronger team this time. After a basketball thriller that even went into overtime, Alba was able to put aside his Saarlouis trauma and move into the final.

The next day there is great hope of winning the cup, but the table position and the statistics clearly speak for Keltern. For Alba’s coach, however, the starting position only counts to a limited extent. “When you play a final, especially with two games on consecutive days, the statistics don’t matter,” says Cristo Cabrera.

The Spaniard was right. “Today the answer for us is: gold,” he said after the game. Alba won the cup for the first time in the club’s history, again after extra time. “We were pumped full of adrenaline,” says Marie Berthold, describing the final phase.

That’s what makes Alba’s team special

The game wasn’t perfect, Alba made a few mistakes. But in the end it was a clear team effort: almost all players scored points, four of them even in double figures. The depth of the squad decided the game. Berthold explains: “We were tired, there were two long games, but that’s what sets our bench apart: We have a lot of players who come in, are important and play in the crucial minutes. That was the reason for our perseverance in the end.”

Compared to final opponents Keltern, Alba relies on development and its own offspring. This can best be seen on Lilli Schultze on Sunday. The Berliner turned 17 two months ago, but has already been on the floor for eleven minutes in the final.

Numerous young girls, many of whom are active in basketball themselves, are excited in the stands. Some put their skills to the test during the quarter break with small throwing challenges. After the game, they line up to take a photo with the players.

The players are aware of their role model function. “Of course, this is also a responsibility that I’m happy to accept. I hope that they continue to dream and work on themselves so that they have a chance at some point,” says Berthold.

The tournament was a complete success for Berlin women’s basketball and not only advertising for the sport, but also for the upcoming World Cup. The anticipation is great: in September the basketball world will be looking to Berlin again. Tickets for the major event are already available.

This weekend is a step in the right direction for the development of the sport. The basketball fever was palpable and the Sömmeringhalle was almost sold out. Claps, horns and drums, coupled with cheers, made the hall shake. The mood shows how much interest is growing and gives an idea of ​​the atmosphere that can be expected at the World Cup in the summer.

For Alba, however, it is now about a good placement for the play-offs. Alba has shown what the team is capable of and the cup win gives hope in the fight for the championship.