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FIBA: Praha takes on Fenerbahçe in EuroLeague Girls staff play – Women Are Sports
Home Basketball FIBA: Praha takes on Fenerbahçe in EuroLeague Girls staff play

FIBA: Praha takes on Fenerbahçe in EuroLeague Girls staff play

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FIBA: Praha takes on Fenerbahçe in EuroLeague Girls staff play

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The second round of EuroLeague Women group play begins this week, and true to FIBA’s word when it introduced the new competition system prior to this season, we have several matchups right away that will showcase some of the best talent international basketball has to offer.

On Wednesday, Tango Bourges Basket will take on Basket Landes in a rivalry game between two French clubs. Both finished the first round of group play at 4-2, and while the high-octane Bourges offense has experience on its side, Landes surprised more than a few people with its performance in recent weeks, and its roster features several can’t-miss, up-and-coming players who could use a strong performance in EuroLeague Women to bolster their international resumes.

We’ll also get a clash between two of the competition’s perennial powerhouses in ZVVZ USK Praha (4-2) and Fenerbahçe Opet (6-0). Fenerbahçe is, of course, the two-time defending EuroLeague Women champion, and boasts perhaps the most star-studded roster in the competition, with standout names such as Emma Meesseman, Gabby Williams and Tina Charles. Can Praha’s hard-nosed group, led by Ezi Magbegor and Brionna Jones, deal Fenerbahçe its first loss?

Five of this week’s six games will be streamed live and for free on FIBA’s EuroLeague Women YouTube channel, while the game between Bourges and Landes will be streamed via DAZN. Here’s everything else we’ll be watching for as the second round of group play tips off.


Wednesday, December 11

Valencia Basket Club (5-1) vs. KGHM BC Polkowice (1-5)

When: 1 p.m. ET

Where: City Sports Hall in Polkowice, Poland

How to watch: FIBA YouTube live stream

Notable players: Alina Iagupova, Stephanie Mavunga, Yvonne Turner, Kayla Alexander, Leticia Romero, Bernadett Határ, Alba Torrens (Valencia Basket Club); Alexis Peterson, Amanda Zahui B., Rennia Davis, Emma Cannon (KGHM BC Polkowice)

Matchup details: To call Polkowice the underdog in this matchup wouldn’t be unfair. Leading distributor Peterson (16.8 points and seven assists per game) is still on the mend from a lower leg injury, and veteran forward Anete Steinberga (15.2 points and 6.5 rebounds per game) recently transferred to Turkish club Galatasaray, which is participating in EuroCup Women. This puts Polkowice in an unfavorable spot against Valencia, a veteran-laded team that ranked first in the competition in rebounds (41.2) and second in blocks per game (3.3) in the first round of group play.

Tango Bourges Basket (4-2) vs. Basket Landes (4-2)

When: 1:30 p.m. ET

Where: Espace François Mitterrand in Mont-de-Marsan, France

How to watch: DAZN

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

Matchup details: One of the goals of FIBA trying the two-round group play system in EuroLeague Women was to ensure that the second round was filled with fresh matchups, but Bourges and Landes have already met this season in the French league, which resulted in a 68-55 Landes victory highlighted by a 15-point, 10-rebound performance by Geiselsöder. Such a score was uncharacteristic for Bourges, which averaged 81.3 points per game as a team in the first round of EuroLeague Women group play. We’ll see if Bourges can turn the tables on Landes (66.8 team points per game and 40.8 percent field goal percentage) here in the European competition.

Žabiny Brno (2-4) vs. Beretta Famila Schio (4-2)

When: 2 p.m. ET

Where: Palazzetto Livio Romare in Schio, Italy

How to watch: FIBA YouTube live stream

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

Matchup details: Not much is expected of Brno after a 2-4 finish in the first round, so the Czech club will more or less be playing with house money from here on. Schio, on the other hand, finished the first round with three straight wins and could very well be looking at this matchup as an opportunity for a fourth. Brno has the offensive talent to make this a competitive game—the two clubs, coincidentally, are currently averaging the same number of points per game (71.3). But Brno has given up more points per game (75.5) than any other team in Group E. Defending the 3-point shot will be important for Brno, as Schio is currently knocking down 39.8 percent of its 3-point attempts, which leads EuroLeague Women.

ÇBK Mersin (6-0) vs. Perfumerias Avenida (3-3)

When: 2:30 p.m. ET

Where: Pabellón Municipal Würzburg in Salamanca, Spain

How to watch: FIBA YouTube live stream

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

Matchup details: Avenida has had an up-and-down season thus far, and with Arella Guirantes recently having left the team, perimeter players like Carter and youngster Iyana Martín Carrión will need to step up until the club can find another scorer on the wing. In the meantime, Mersin will be strongly favored to take this game; the Turkish club has been loading up with the recent additions of McCowan and Thornton, and finished the first round of group play leading the competition in assists per game (26.3), thanks in large part to its deep, talented backcourt of Johannès, Anderson and Fauthoux. It’s no surprise that Mersin came in at No. 1 overall in the latest edition of FIBA’s EuroLeague Women power rankings.

Thursday, December 12

ZVVZ USK Praha (4-2) vs. Fenerbahçe Opet (6-0)

When: 10:30 a.m. ET

Where: Metro Energy Sports Hall in Istanbul, Turkey

How to watch: FIBA YouTube live stream

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

Matchup details: It’s been a must-watch game whenever these two teams have played in recent seasons, and this time around is no different. Praha has once again assembled a team that excels on defense (3.7 blocks and 9.5 steals per game) and on the boards (39 rebounds per game), but will it be enough to overcome the Fenerbahçe machine? The defending champs are once again scoring the most points per game (86.7) of any EuroLeague Women team and also have the highest cumulative point differential (+111) in the competition. How Magbegor and Jones play against Meesseman and Charles will be a determining factor, as will the play of November MVP Conde.

Umana Reyer Venezia (3-3) vs. Casademont Zaragoza (4-2)

When: 2 p.m. ET

Where: Pabellón Príncipe Felipe in Zaragoza, Spain

How to watch: FIBA YouTube live stream

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

Matchup details: Venezia likely wants to play in a higher-scoring game than Zaragoza does, but offense may be at a premium in this game. The two clubs rank second and third in the competition in steals per game, totaling 19.7, while Zaragoza ranks third in rebounds per game (38.3). Pace of play will be crucial in this matchup; if Venezia can neutralize Zaragoza’s advantage on the boards and overall physicality, it can get out and run with younger players like Kuier and Smalls, but if Zaragoza keeps the game slow and in the halfcourt, its size and experience may win out.

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