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FIBA: Fenerbahçe, Praha meet once more as play-in image turns into clearer – Women Are Sports
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FIBA: Fenerbahçe, Praha meet once more as play-in image turns into clearer

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FIBA: Fenerbahçe, Praha meet once more as play-in image turns into clearer

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Reigning EuroLeague Women champion Fenerbahçe Opet will put its undefeated record (7-0) on the line this week against a familiar foe in ZVVZ USK Praha (4-4). This matchup between two of the competition’s annual powerhouses highlights the 10th week of group play and a slate of games that will be split up across three days.

When Fenerbahçe and Praha last met back in Week 7, many fans expected a close, competitive game. That’s exactly what they got, with Fenerbahçe narrowly coming out on top in a 75-71 victory; Emma Meesseman led all scorers with 18 points, while Gabby Williams chipped in 14 points and four steals.

Can Praha even its regular-season series against Fenerbahçe? The Czech club will be at home this time around, which, in an international competition like EuroLeague Women, is an advantage that can’t be discounted. Praha will unfortunately be without guard Maria Conde (13.8 points, five rebounds and 6.4 assists per game), however, after she suffered a lower leg injury last week against Casademont Zaragoza; Conde will be out for 8-12 months, according to the San Francisco Chronicle. Praha will need to find a way to replace her all-around production quickly if it’s going to have a chance against Fenerbahçe.

It’s important to note that both Fenerbahçe and fellow Turkish club ÇBK Mersin (9-0) have already qualified for the EuroLeague Women play-ins, as well as the Final Six (essentially a playoff tournament) that will be held in April. According to this season’s competition system, that means there are three more play-in spots in each group that are up for grabs; while the recent drop-out of KGHM BC Polkowice vacated some previous game results (hence the uneven records), FIBA has not mentioned any other disruption of the competition system moving forward.

Wednesday’s clash between Fenerbahçe and Praha is one of several EuroLeague Women games that will be streamed live and for free on the competition’s YouTube channel. FIBA’s designated game of the week between French clubs Tango Bourges Basket (5-4) and Basket Landes (5-4) will be streamed live via DAZN.


Tuesday, January 14

Beretta Famila Schio (6-3) vs. Žabiny Brno (3-6)

When: 11 a.m. ET

Where: Starez Aréna Vodova in Brno-Královo Pole, Czech Republic

How to watch: FIBA YouTube live stream

Notable players: Kitija Laksa, Jasmine Keys, Janelle Salaün, Ivana Dojkić, Dorka Juhász (Beretta Famila Schio); Elissa Cunane, Eliška Hamzová (Žabiny Brno)

Matchup details: Schio completed one of the most thrilling comebacks of the season last week, overcoming a 15-point deficit in the final minute to defeat Bourges. The Italian club now has a golden opportunity to solidify its position as a top-two team in Group E against Brno, which has fallen to the bottom of the group and is unlikely to make the play-ins. Brno put up a good fight against Schio back in Week 8 but was unable to overcome a double-digit halftime deficit despite scoring 26 points in the fourth quarter, and if Salaün and Laksa can repeat their Week 8 performance (41 points and seven 7-pointers combined), the result of the game will likely be the same.

Wednesday, January 15

Perfumerias Avenida (4-5) vs. ÇBK Mersin (9-0)

When: 11 a.m. ET

Where: Servet Tazegül Spor Salonu in Mersin, Turkey

How to watch: FIBA YouTube live stream

Notable players: Sika Koné, Arica Carter (Perfumerias Avenida); Marine Johannès, Natasha Howard, Kayla Thornton, Karlie Samuelson, Bridget Carleton, Yvonne Anderson, Iliana Rupert, Marine Fauthoux, Regan Magarity (ÇBK Mersin)

Matchup details: Avenida is still alive, but barely, with a win over Mersin the first in an unlikely series of events needed for a spot in the play-ins. To be fair, the Spanish club gave it a great try back in Week 8, falling to Mersin by just two points. It seems unlikely, though, that Avenida would be able to repeat such a performance, especially after losing so many of its imports that it had originally signed for this season; on paper, this is the biggest mismatch of the week.

Fenerbahçe Opet (7-0) vs. ZVVZ USK Praha (4-4)

When: 1 p.m. ET

Where: Královka Arena in Prague, Czech Republic

How to watch: FIBA YouTube live stream

Notable players: Ariel Atkins, Emma Meesseman, Tina Charles, Gabby Williams, Nyara Sabally, Julie Allemand, Nikolina Milić, Sevgi Uzun (Fenerbahçe Opet); Ezi Magbegor, Brionna Jones, Maite Cazorla, Valeriane Ayayi, Emese Hof (ZVVZ USK Praha)

Matchup details: There’s no doubt as to which club in Group F is the strongest after last week, when Fenerbahçe handily defeated Valencia 92-56. Will Praha fare any better without its star guard, Conde? Fenerbahçe has only gotten deeper since the last time the two teams met, having added Sabally over the holiday break, though Praha has a tough, physical frontcourt of its own with Magbegor and Jones. The Czech club will need to lean on that duo in the paint and keep the score of the game low; Fenerbahçe is leading EuroLeague Women in scoring by a large margin (83.7 points per game) and is shooting 54.6 percent from the field as a team, and it would be tough for Praha to hang with the champs should the game turn into a shootout.

Basket Landes (5-4) vs. Tango Bourges Basket (5-4)

When: 2 p.m. ET

Where: Palais des Sports du Prado in Bourges, France

How to watch: DAZN

Notable players: Destiny Slocum, Leïla Lacan, Sam Fuehring, Luisa Geiselsöder (Basket Landes); Amy Okonkwo, Morgan Green, Pauline Astier, Kariata Diaby (Tango Bourges Basket)

Matchup details: It seems as if Landes has been playing with fire for much of this season, but despite a 20-point loss to Mersin last week, the French club is still over .500 and in contention in Group E. Bourges is in a similar position, albeit below Landes in the standings despite having an enormous advantage in point differential (+119). This is due to Landes’ head-to-head victory in Week 8; while the result of that game was close (76-73), Bourges never led. While it’s possible that both French teams end up making the play-in, this game is still going to matter in the long run, especially to Landes and its somewhat unlikely story.

Thursday, January 16

Casademont Zaragoza (4-3) vs. Umana Reyer Venezia (3-5)

When: 1 p.m. ET

Where: Palasport Taliercio in Venice, Italy

How to watch: FIBA YouTube live stream

Notable players: Markeisha Gatling, Helena Pueyo, Tanaya Atkinson, Stephanie Mawuli (Casademont Zaragoza); Awak Kuier, Lorela Cubaj, Kamiah Smalls (Umana Reyer Venezia)

Matchup details: Zaragoza earned a huge win last week against Praha and are now in position to clinch a spot in the play-ins with a victory over Venezia. Conversely, Venezia must win this game if it’s going to stay alive; the Italian club hasn’t won a game since late October and has looked overwhelmed against its second-round competition. Venezia will need to do a better job on the boards than it has been. Zaragoza is out-rebounding Venezia 38.7-32 on the season, and as a team seems to prefer a more physical style of play. If shooters like Kuier and Smalls are going to have big performances, now would be a good time.

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