COACH Mark Clark will be able to stamp `Made in Manchester' on Great Britain's elevation to the top flight of European basketball should their promotion dream come true.

And there is every hope it will.

The national women's boss has been preparing for four crucial European Championship games with an extensive training camp at the Amaechi Centre he describes as "the most professional I have been involved in".

With the GB men's team perusing their promotion campaign in an unprecedented blitz of publicity - mainly down to the presence of NBA superstar Luol Deng - the women are making a more low-key, but equally determined, effort.

The Amaechi Centre, home of Manchester Magic and Mystics, hosts two of the main matches - on Saturday when Estonia are the visitors and on September 11, when group leaders Bosnia & Herzegovina are in town.

GB - and particularly Mystics aces Georgia Jones and Kristy Lavin - will feel right at home, having made the Centre their base for weeks.

Clark said: "It has been fantastic to train here and we are looking forward to the games here. We have had the perfect preparation - the best ever for a GB women's team - and all we need to do now is win the games."

To do that, Clark will be relying heavily on local girls Jones, the 17-year-old daughter of Magic coach Jeff, the experienced Lavin and Rochdale-born Lisa Hutchinson.

Talent

"Georgia is one of the best two guards in the country despite her age," said Clark. "She has talent beyond her years."

"Lisa was the best guard in the country last season so she has a big part to play and Kristy is key to us. She has been one of the top players around for years and she has the opportunity to go to the next level by playing professionally in Spain next year."

Clark, who also has Deng's sister Arek in his squad as well as a clutch of players with WNBA experience, added: "We are good enough."

Lavin added: "It has been brilliant to be at the Centre. This is the strongest we have been and that is down to Mark and the preparation we have had."

The two internationals will be the final times Lavin plays on her home court, for the time being at least.

She heads for a professional contract with top Spanish team Burgos in the new season and is keen to test herself.

"I am looking forward to sampling the best basketball in Europe," she said. "Sergio Lara-Bercial, my coach with the Mystics, who is also GB assistant, has really pushed me."

BRITAIN are lie third in their group with two wins from four games. A top-two finish will see them progress to the promotion games where they would play a side from Group B. The winner of that game gains promotion to the A Division.

Fixtures: GB v Estonia (Amaechi Centre, Sat 7pm); Luxembourg v GB (Sept 9); GB v Bosnia & Herz (Amaechi Centre, Wed, Sept 11); Portugal v GB (Sept 15). For tickets for the home games, call 0161 881 0090. Tweet