Great Britain women need to defeat defending champions Serbia tonight if they are to keep alive their EuroBasket hopes and their dreams of qualifying for the Paris Olympics.

After emerging from Group C with one win and two defeats – the second a narrow 62-61 loss to Germany – the Great Britain team that includes Sheffield Hatters duo Georgia Gayle and Nicolette Fairley must beat Serbia in the knockout round to reach the quarter-finals.

Gayle played over 20 minutes for GB in the defeat to Germany.

Only the top six progress to the next stage of the qualifying process. They will form part of a 16-team Global Olympic Qualification Tournament next summer in which hosts France and world champions USA compete, despite each being seeded to the Games.

Action from the women's EuroBasket 2023 in Tel Aviv where Belgium's Julie Vanloo and Italy's Costanza Verona fight for the ball (Picture: VIRGINIE LEFOUR/BELGA MAG/AFP via Getty Images)

At the OQT the top 10 qualify for the Games, plus America and France.

Great Britain have a 1-2 record all time against Serbia, losing in the EuroBasket 2019 bronze medal game and at the tournament four years earlier. But GB did beat Serbia at their opening game of EuroBasket 2013.

Tip-off on Tuesday night in Slovenia is 8pm (BST) and the game can be watched on Courtside 1891 and gbbasketball.tv (SRB v GBR)

GB Women's Basketball face tough Serbia challenge to keep Paris Olympics dream alive