FIBA: EuroLeague Women playoffs begin with Fenerbahçe favored again

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The 2025 EuroLeague Women playoffs, also known as the “Final Six,” will tip-off this Wednesday, April 9. For the first time, six clubs will be participating in the playoffs (as opposed to just four in previous seasons) as part of an all-new competition system that FIBA rolled out last year.

The playoffs will be played in three rounds across five days, beginning with the quarterfinals on April 9. ZVVZ USK Praha (5-5 in group play) will take on Beretta Famila Schio (9-3), while Tango Bourges Basket (7-5) will play ÇBK Mersin (11-1) for the right to advance to the semifinals, as determined by the EuroLeague Women play-ins held in February. Fenerbahçe Opet (10-0) and Valencia Basket Club (7-3) have already earned a spot in the semifinals on Friday, April 11, and will thus wait for their respective opponents to be determined on Wednesday.

Finally, the EuroLeague Women champion will be crowned on Sunday, April 13, along with the second- and third-place finishers. Many expect Fenerbahçe to win its third-consecutive title, though the single-elimination format of the playoffs means that anything can happen. It’s also important to note that, with every game of the playoffs being held in Zaragoza, Spain, no one club will have a true home-court advantage.

This is what FIBA envisioned when it first announced the changes to the EuroLeague Women competition system: a tiered group play phase and expanded postseason that would essentially keep things as interesting as possible throughout the course of the season. With the most talented clubs now playing each other in quick succession, it’s safe to say that goal has been met.

Wednesday, April 9

ZVVZ USK Praha vs. Beretta Famila Schio (quarterfinals)

When: 11:30 a.m. ET

How to watch: DAZN

Notable players: Ezi Magbegor, Brionna Jones, Maite Cazorla, Valeriane Ayayi, Emese Hof (ZVVZ USK Praha); Dorka Juhász, Janelle Salaün, Kitija Laksa, Ivana Dojkić, Jasmine Keys (Beretta Famila Schio)

Matchup details: Praha and Schio have yet to play each other this season, and the two clubs’ contrasting styles of play makes this matchup that much more interesting. Praha’s approach is basic, but effective: Jones and Magbegor make for a physical frontcourt duo that powered Praha to the top of the leaderboards in rebounds per game (40.4) and blocks per game (three). Schio, meanwhile, spreads out its offense, boasting shooters at nearly every position and getting up 22.9 3-point attempts per game. The Italian club also takes good care of the basketball, averaging 13.5 turnovers per contest, which is fewest in the competition. How accurate Schio is from beyond the 3-point line will obviously be a big factor in this game, as Praha’s rebounding and interior defense is going to make it tough if those jumpshots aren’t falling.

Tango Bourges Basket vs. ÇBK Mersin (quarterfinals)

When: 2:30 p.m. ET

How to watch: DAZN

Notable players: Amy Okonkwo, Kariata Diaby, Morgan Green, Pauline Astier (Tango Bourges Basket); Marine Johannès, Natasha Howard, Karlie Samuelson, Bridget Carleton, Iliana Rupert, Yvonne Anderson, Marine Fauthoux (ÇBK Mersin)

Matchup details: If you like offense, you’ll want to watch this game. Mersin’s roster is chock-full of playmaking and shooting—maybe the only roster that can match Fenerbahçe’s in terms of star power—and will also be getting its leading rebounder, Rupert, back after a hand injury forced her to miss all of February. Bourges is not to be underestimated, though; efficient 3-point shooting (36.2 percent) and solid rebounding (38.7 per game) make the French club a threat. Mersin’s defense has been stout over the course of the competition (64.7 points allowed; the fewest in EuroLeague Women) but Bourges likes to push the basketball, and it’s not inconceivable that this ends up being a close game—if not an upset.

Friday, April 11

Beretta Famila Schio or ZVVZ USK Praha vs. Fenerbahçe Opet (semifinals)

When: 11:30 a.m. ET

How to watch: DAZN

Notable players: Emma Meesseman, Tina Charles, Gabby Williams, Kayla McBride, Nyara Sabally, Julie Allemand, Nikolina Milić, Sevgi Uzun (Fenerbahçe Opet)

Matchup details: The defending champs don’t know who they’ll be playing yet, but they have to be feeling good about their chances regardless. Fenerbahçe leads the competition in many statistical categories, including points per game (81.1), field goal percentage (51.8 percent), assists per game (25.1) and steals per game (12). Looking at the team’s roster, that’s not much of a surprise; Meesseman has continued her run as perhaps the greatest player in EuroLeague Women history and is gunning for her third-consecutive MVP award, while Williams is a favorite to win Defensive Player of the Year. If that isn’t enough, McBride will join the team for the postseason, making Fenerbahçe even deadlier on offense with her pristine jumpshot.

ÇBK Mersin or Tango Bourges Basket vs. Valencia Basket Club (semifinals)

When: 2:30 p.m. ET

How to watch: DAZN

Notable players: Alina Iagupova, Leonie Fiebich, Stephanie Mavunga, Yvonne Turner, Kayla Alexander, Leticia Romero, Alba Torrens (Valencia Basket Club)

Matchup details: While not as inevitable as Fenerbahçe, there was a good amount of hype surrounding Valencia heading into the season, with household names like Iagupova, Mavunga, Alexander and Torrens leading a talented, veteran-laden roster. That group proved its mettle in the play-ins, defeating Mersin in a shocking opening-game blowout, the point differential of which was enough to send Valencia to the semifinals. The Spanish club didn’t perform nearly as well in the second game of the play-ins, though, and while that game was essentially only a formality, it’s fair to wonder which Valencia we’ll be seeing in the semis—especially in a hypothetical rematch against Mersin. On the season, Valencia ranks third in the competition in points per game (76.6) and second in rebounds per game (40.1).