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The 2024 national team break has passed, and basketball competitions all over Europe are resuming. EuroLeague Women is set to play its fifth first-round group play matchups this week, and there’s plenty on the line as the clubs that have not yet qualified for the second round will try to clinch their respective spots.
There’s also a bit of roster activity to get caught up on, as is typical around this time of year. Let’s start with the big one: 6-foot-7 center Teaira McCowan, who was previously competing for the Turkish national team in the 2025 Women’s EuroBasket qualifiers (McCowan is an American and Turkish dual citizen) will now play for Turkish club ÇBK Mersin. Mersin is already looking strong at 4-0 in group play, and McCowan’s addition will further fortify the club’s frontcourt depth.
Elsewhere, veteran Canadian center Kayla Alexander has arrived in Valencia, where Valencia Basket Club (3-1) will look to strengthen its resume heading into the second round of group play. UNI Győr (0-4) will not be as fortunate, though it will soon have the services of Canadian guard Bridget Carleton, who played for the Hungarian club last season.
You can watch for these new faces in Week 5, as well as the clubs that will be playing for a spot in the next round of group play, live and for free on FIBA’s EuroLeague Women YouTube channel. Here’s an overview of the week’s matchups, including which players and storylines to follow.
Wednesday, November 20
ÇBK Mersin (4-0) vs. Žabiny Brno (2-2)
When: 11 a.m. ET
Where: Starez Aréna Vodova in Brno, Czech Republic
How to watch: FIBA YouTube live stream
Notable players: Marine Johannès, Natasha Howard, Teaira McCowan, Karlie Samuelson, Yvonne Anderson, Iliana Rupert, Marine Fauthoux, Regan Magarity (ÇBK Mersin); Elissa Cunane, Eliška Hamzová (Žabiny Brno)
Matchup details: McCowan was likely brought to Mersin to start, though the Turkish club certainly has options in its frontcourt with her, Howard and more of a “stretch” big in Rupert. They’ll probably be hashing things out against Brno, which, like Mersin, has already qualified for the second round of group play. Mersin outshot Brno when the two clubs last met in Week 2 and won comfortably, but we’ll see if the 3-pointer is as big of an emphasis this time around with McCowan in the lineup.
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