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As Aristotle said, “Nature abhors a vacuum,” and the world of basketball is similar.
Just ahead of Game 1 of the 2024 WNBA Finals, the best and most exciting women’s basketball competition in Europe—EuroLeague Women—concluded it’s first week of games. Here are three takeaways from those contests:
Don’t overlook Žabiny Brno
The American frontcourt duo of Stephanie Kostowicz and Elissa Cunane is fitting in nicely on the Czech vice-champions, Žabiny Brno. The Lady Frogs have been second-best in their country for three years in a row now, but during Week 1 they played like world-beaters, sharing the ball and making shot after shot. Žabiny beat Olympiacos 92-61. Cunane had 17 points and nine rebounds, while Kostowicz had 10 points, 10 rebounds, two steals and two blocks. Talking to Swish Appeal after the game, Kostowicz suggested that the underdog status may have contributed to the overall performance:
Coach told us in the locker room before the game that we were ranked 16th out of 16 teams in the EuroLeague. Maybe that lit a fire under us or maybe it took away the pressure. But 30 assists and 16-for-27 from 3 made for a very fun game!
Janelle Salaün can do it all
Unlike her younger brother Tidjane, who was select No. 6 overall by the Charlotte Hornets in the 2024 NBA Draft, Janelle Salaün was overlooked by the WNBA. She played an important role for France during the Olympics and now during EuroLeague Women Week 1, playing on a new team and in a different country, she delivered one of the best performances of her career: 24 points, nine rebounds, four assists and five steals. The most impressive part about that statline is that 18 of her 24 points came from 3-pointers; she was 6-of-10 from long distance. Her squad, Beretta Familia Schio, beat Perfumerias Avenida 92-58.
Rosters change, Turkish teams keep winning
Fenerbahçe Opet and Çukurova Basketbol Mersin made the EuroLeague Women Final Four last year, and Fener repeated as champions, led by Napheesa Collier and Kayla McBride, who might finish up the season as WNBA champions with the Minnesota Lynx, too. Fenerbahçe will be without it’s two American stars this season, but they have their mainstay in Emma Meesseman. She’s aided by newcomer Gabby Williams and WNBA veteran Tina Charles, who has returned to Fener after 10 years. In their first game against Villeneuve d’Ascq LM, they won 81-52. Meesseman was her incredible self, scoring, rebounding and passing, while Charles had 18 points coming off the bench.
Mersin added the duo of Yvonne Anderson and Natasha Howard, who both started last season at Fenerbahçe, and they won their first game against Tango Bourges Basket 77-66. The best performance of the night came from Iliana Rupert, who scored 20 points and grabbed nine boards.
Week 1 scores
Group A
Basket Landes 55, DVTK HUN-Therm Miskolc 54
Beretta Famila Schio 92, Avenida 58
Group B
Žabiny Brno 92, Olympiacos B.C. 61
Çukurova Basketbol Mersin 77, Tango Bourges Basket 66
Group C
Casademont Zaragoza 76, KGHM BC Polkowice 73
Fenerbahçe Opet 81, Villeneuve-d’Ascq LM 52
Group D
Valencia Basket Club 80, ZVVZ USK Praha 62
Umana Reyer Venezia 80, UNI Győr 59
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