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For Czech basketball club ZVVZ USK Praha, simply competing in EuroLeague Women isn’t enough. The storied club is one of the competition’s few regular participants and gone to the semifinals or further in seven of the last nine EuroLeague Women seasons.

Expectations for Praha are high once again for 2024-25. Prior to group play, FIBA.com slotted Praha at No. 4 in its preseason power rankings, citing a level of roster continuity that’s rare in EuroLeague Women, and an opening-week hiccup against Valencia Basket Club wasn’t particularly worrisome, given that several of the team’s mainstays had yet to join the club.

One of those players, center Brionna Jones, is now back with the team. Jones, who has played for Praha since 2019, is joined in the frontcourt by Ezi Magbegor (who also has yet to make her 2024-25 EuroLeague Women debut) and newcomer Isabelle Harrison. The trio should give Praha the luxury of having three established veterans in its frontcourt, which is something few other clubs in the competition will have an answer for.

In Week 3 of group play, Praha will meet an up-and-coming Umana Reyer Venezia club that has been impressive thus far. Venezia, which last competed in EuroLeague Women in 2022, is off to a 2-0 start, breezing past UNI Győr and making a big statement against Valencia. Venezia, too, has plenty of talent up front, with Awak Kuier and Lorela Cubaj currently combining to average 26.5 points, 10.5 rebounds and three steals per game.

Is Venezia for real? This key Group D matchup against Praha will be a great early-season test for the youngsters playing for the Italian club. It’s just one of many EuroLeague Women games we’ll be watching this week. They’ll all be streamed live and for free on FIBA’s EuroLeague Women YouTube channel.

Wednesday, October 23

ÇBK Mersin (2-0) vs. Olympiacos B.C. (0-2)

When: 11:30 a.m. ET

Where: Peace and Friendship Stadium in Piraeus, Greece

How to watch: FIBA YouTube live stream

Notable players: Marine Johannès, Natasha Howard, Karlie Samuelson, Yvonne Anderson, Iliana Rupert, Marine Fauthoux, Regan Magarity (ÇBK Mersin); Kyra Lambert, Ivana Raca, Rebecca Tobin (Olympiacos B.C.)

Matchup details: Mersin has looked sharp out of the gate, winning both of its first two games by double figures, and while it’s still early, it’s looking like the Turkish club is primed to run away with things in Group B. Olympiacos is going to have to tighten up its defense if it’s going to have any chance at slowing Mersin down; through two weeks, the Greek club is allowing 90 points per game, which is the most in the competition, and it hasn’t been able to generate nearly enough offense to compensate.

Fenerbahçe Opet (2-0) vs. KGHM BC Polkowice (1-1)

When: 1 p.m. ET

Where: City Sports Hall in Polkowice, Poland

How to watch: FIBA YouTube live stream

Notable players: Ariel Atkins, Emma Meesseman, Tina Charles, Gabby Williams, Julie Allemand, Nikolina Milic, Sevgi Uzun (Fenerbahçe Opet); Alexis Peterson, Amanda Zahui B., Rennia Davis, Emma Cannon (KGHM BC Polkowice)

Matchup details: Fenerbahçe has looked every bit of the juggernaut it is on paper through the first two weeks, leading the competition in points per game (82.5) and field goal percentage (53.5 percent) as well as steals per game (13.5). Polkowice presents a challenge, however, especially if its last game against Villeneuve-d’Ascq means anything: The Polish club racked up 29 assists on 32 made baskets and shot 55.2 percent from the field, with Cannon leading the way with 22 points and 12 rebounds.

Basket Landes (1-1) vs. Beretta Famila Schio (1-1)

When: 2 p.m. ET

Where: Palasport Livio Romare in Schio, Italy

How to watch: FIBA YouTube live stream

Notable players: Destiny Slocum, Leïla Lacan, Sam Fuehring (Basket Landes); Kitija Laksa, Jasmine Keys, Janelle Salaün (Beretta Famila Schio)

Matchup details: Landes has struggled to score the basketball thus far in group play, averaging just 53.5 points per game through two weeks, and that’s not going to cut it against Schio, which has been one of the competition’s most explosive teams early on. Salaün currently leads Schio in both scoring (21.5) and rebounding (9.0). Keep an eye on Lacan, too; while Salaün likely won’t be matched up against her individually, the two players represent the future of French basketball, and even at their young age, they may be the most important players to their respective EuroLeague Women clubs.

Casademont Zaragoza (1-1) vs. Villeneuve-d’Ascq LM (0-2)

When: 2 p.m. ET

Where: Palacium in Villeneuve-d’Ascq, France

How to watch: FIBA YouTube live stream

Notable players: Markeisha Gatling, Helena Pueyo, Tanaya Atkinson, Stephanie Mawuli (Casademont Zaragoza); Shavonte Zellous, Kelsey Bone, Carla Leite, Maïa Hirsch (Villeneuve-d’Ascq LM)

Matchup details: It’s still early, but Villeneuve-d’Ascq isn’t looking as strong as it did last season, when it made the EuroLeague Women championship game. Hirsch, the club’s best interior defender, continues to nurse an ankle injury, and the team has allowed 171 points total in the first two weeks of group play. Things won’t get any easier in Group C against Zaragoza; Pueyo, in particular, is playing terrific basketball on both ends of the court, shooting 61.1 percent from the floor and averaging 2.5 steals per game.

UNI Győr (0-2) vs. Valencia Basket Club (1-1)

When: 2 p.m. ET

Where: Pabellón Fuente de San Luis in Valencia, Spain

How to watch: FIBA YouTube live stream

Notable players: Cyesha Goree, Virag Kiss (UNI Győr); Alina Iagupova, Stephanie Mavunga, Yvonne Turner, Raquel Carrera, Leticia Romero, Bernadett Határ, Alba Torrens (Valencia Basket Club)

Matchup details: Valencia was upset last week by Venezia, but faces a good opportunity to get back on track in Group D against Győr. There’s a clear disparity in talent in this matchup, and even though Valencia hasn’t established the chemistry it will need to compete for a EuroLeague Women title just yet, Győr is going to need for shooting luck on both sides of the basketball to have much of a chance.

Thursday, October 24

Perfumerias Avenida (1-1) vs. DVTK HUN-Therm (1-1)

When: 12 p.m. ET

Where: DVTK Aréna in Miskolc, Hungary

How to watch: FIBA YouTube live stream

Notable players: Arella Guirantes, Sika Koné, Mikiah Herbert Harrigan, Arica Carter (Perfumerias Avenida); Kaila Charles, Aleksa Gulbe (DVTK HUN-Therm)

Matchup details: DVTK earned a signature win last week that mirrored much of what made it a successful team last season (namely on defense), holding a potent Schio offense to 63 points. Avenida, too, bounced back after a frustrating opening week, cruising past Landes by nearly 30 points. The matchup on the wing between Charles and Guirantes will be one to watch, while DVTK will need a big game from its frontcourt against Koné (13 rebounds in 22 minutes last week).

ZVVZ USK Praha (1-1) vs. Umana Reyer Venezia (2-0)

When: 1:30 p.m. ET

Where: Palasport Taliercio in Venice, Italy

How to watch: FIBA YouTube live stream

Notable players: Brionna Jones, Isabelle Harrison, Maite Cazorla, Valeriane Ayayi, Maria Conde, Emese Hof (ZVVZ USK Praha); Awak Kuier, Lorela Cubaj, Kamiah Smalls (Umana Reyer Venezia)

Matchup details: Group D looked like it would be a slugfest from the opening draw, but not many expected Venezia to be ahead of both Praha and Valencia in the standings at any point in the season. Both frontcourts are among the most talented in the competition, but Praha has the clear edge in experience, and with Jones back in the fold it figures to once again be one of the strongest rebounding clubs in EuroLeague Women. If Praha has one weakness, it’s ball security; should Venezia be able to force anywhere near the 18 turnovers Praha is currently committing per game, it will have a chance to improve to 3-0.

Žabiny Brno (1-1) vs. Tango Bourges Basket (1-1)

When: 2 p.m. ET

Where: Palais des Sports du Prado in Bourges, France

How to watch: FIBA YouTube live stream

Notable players: Elissa Cunane, Eliška Hamzová (Žabiny Brno); Amy Okonkwo, Morgan Green, Pauline Astier, Kariata Diaby (Tango Bourges Basket)

Matchup details: This is a key matchup in Group B, with Mersin the hands-down favorite and having already comfortably beaten both of these teams. Thus, head-to-head wins will be especially important for both Brno and Bourges. Cunane is currently averaging a double-double (14.8 points and 10 rebounds per game) for Brno, while Okonkwo and Diaby are combining to average 26.5 points per game for Bourges; Astier, however, may be the best player on the floor, should her averages of 14.5 points and 7.5 assists per game hold.