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It’s hard to call ZVVZ USK Praha the underdogs, considering that their roster features WNBA All-Stars Ezi Magbegor and Brionna Jones, along with international standout Valeriane Ayayi and Maite Cazorla.
Yet, among the Final Four teams, they weren’t the title favorites. Their presence in the semi-finals wasn’t a surprise, but their wins over the two Turkish powerhouses, Fenerbahçe in the semi-final and ÇBK Mersin in the final were. And considering that Praha’s only player in the All-EuroLeague Women First Team, Maria Conde, was absent from the Final Six because of an injury, their triumph is even more impressive.
The 66-53 championship win is a testament to continuity, as head coach Natália Hejková, who recently announced that she would retire after the season, has remained the in charge since 2012, won the EuroLeague Women title in 2015 and was allowed to work in relative peace for the next 10 years—until she brought another title to Prague.
Praha opened the championship game against Mersin 10-0, with 3s from Magbegor and Ayayi. Mersin, though, managed to tie the score at 11. That was the only time in the first half the teams were tied, as Praha didn’t allow the Turkish team to get close again. From the end of the first quarter to the middle of the second, Praha scored 12 unanswered points and finished the first half up by 13, 42-29. Ayayi was spectacular in the first half, scoring 14 points for Praha.
It was Mersin who opened the third quarter strong, and with Bridget Carleton and Natasha Howard combining for 15 points, the score was again tied at 42. In the middle of the fourth quarter, Praha was up just 56-53 following a Carleton 3, suggesting a clutch finish could be incoming. Instead, the shot turned out be Mersin’s last make of the game, with Praha drawing fouls and building up a steady lead, which eventually became the 13-point margin of victory, 66-53.
The MVP of the game (and the Final Six) went to Brionna Jones, who scored 24 points on 73 percent shooting and grabbed 11 boards. Ezi Magbegor had nine points and 10 boards. Mersin were lead by Carleton and Howard, with Carleton scoring 15, boosted by a 3-for-6 effort from 3, and Howard leading with 19 points. As a team, Mersin shot just 31 percent from the floor. In comparison, Praha shot with 44 percent accuracy.
More importantly, they executed Hejková’s defensive plan, allowing her to retire a champ.
