After a three-week holiday break, EuroLeague Women group play will resume this Tuesday, Jan. 7, and quite a bit has happened since the turn of the calendar year that will have an impact on the league’s competitive landscape.
First, there have been a handful of roster changes across the competition, as is typical for this time of year—particularly for imports. Center Nyara Sabally, who last played in EuroLeague Women for ZVVZ USK Praha, will now be suiting up for two-time defending champion Fenerbahçe Opet, joining big-name players like Tina Charles and Emma Meesseman in the team’s frontcourt.
The other top clubs in the competition are getting upgrades, too. Bridget Carleton is set to join ÇBK Mersin—the only team besides Fenerbahçe that’s still undefeated—while Valencia Basket Club had added Leonie Fiebich to its roster. It’s not uncommon to see the rich get richer around the halfway point of a EuroLeague Women season, which is more or less what’s happening here in 2025.
Not every club had had such luck, though. In fact, KGHM BC Polkowice dropped out of the competition entirely for what has only been described as “financial reasons.” According to FIBA, this means that all games that would have involved Polkowice are now canceled, and the competition will continue with Group F having five clubs instead of six.
Needless to say, there’s a lot to catch up on, but there’s a lot to look forward to as well. This week, Fenerbahçe will take on Valencia in a matchup between two championship contenders, while Mersin will look to keep its own undefeated streak alive against pleasant surprise Basket Landes. All EuroLeague Women games will be streamed live either via the EuroLeague Women YouTube channel or DAZN streaming service.
Tuesday, January 7
Tango Bourges Basket (5-3) vs. Beretta Famila Schio (5-3)
When: 2 p.m. ET
Where: Palazzetto Livio Rómare in Schio, Italy
How to watch: FIBA YouTube live stream
Notable players: Amy Okonkwo, Morgan Green, Pauline Astier, Kariata Diaby (Tango Bourges Basket); Kitija Laksa, Jasmine Keys, Janelle Salaün, Ivana Dojkić, Dorka Juhász (Beretta Famila Schio)
Matchup details: Bourges has retained its status as the highest-scoring team in Group E, with its stellar free throw shooting (84 percent) a major reason why. Outside of that, though, Bourges and Schio match up pretty well; both have dynamic young guards in Astier and Dojkić, shooters at multiple positions, and the ability to score in the paint with their height. It’s a big game for both clubs in the grand scheme of things, too; they’re two of three teams in Group E that currently have 5-3 records, so the winner will have an advantage down the road when playoff seeding becomes important.
Wednesday, January 8
Valencia Basket Club (7-1) vs. Fenerbahçe Opet (8-0)
When: 11 a.m. ET
Where: Metro Energy Sports Hall in Istanbul, Turkey
How to watch: DAZN
Notable players: Alina Iagupova, Leonie Fiebich, Stephanie Mavunga, Yvonne Turner, Kayla Alexander, Leticia Romero, Alba Torrens (Valencia Basket Club); Ariel Atkins, Emma Meesseman, Tina Charles, Gabby Williams, Nyara Sabally, Julie Allemand, Nikolina Milić, Sevgi Uzun (Fenerbahçe Opet)
Matchup details: This is a game we’ve been waiting for since the moment the second round groups were announced. Both teams are star-studded and at or near the top of several EuroLeague Women statistical categories, and Valencia is one of the few clubs that, on paper, can match Fenerbahçe’s level of individual talent. The debuts of Sabally and Fiebich only add to the excitement; there’s a good chance the two teams meet again in the playoffs, and given the potential for it to be a championship preview, this game is undoubtedly the one to watch for this week.
ÇBK Mersin (8-0) vs. Basket Landes (5-3)
When: 1:30 p.m. ET
Where: Espace François Mitterrand in Mont-de-Marsan, France
How to watch: FIBA YouTube live stream
Notable players: Marine Johannès, Natasha Howard, Kayla Thornton, Karlie Samuelson, Bridget Carleton, Yvonne Anderson, Iliana Rupert, Marine Fauthoux, Regan Magarity (ÇBK Mersin); Destiny Slocum, Leïla Lacan, Sam Fuehring, Luisa Geiselsöder (Basket Landes)
Matchup details: Mersin announced that it had parted ways with head coach Víctor Lapeña, though it’s hard to see that having much of an impact on such a talented team. The Turkish club ranks second in EuroLeague Women in field goal percentage (51 percent) and assists (24.9 per game) and is allowing the fewest points per game in the competition at 63.9. That doesn’t bode well for Landes, which is last among the competition’s remaining teams in points per game (66.5) and field goal percentage (41 percent). Landes isn’t going to be able to go toe-to-toe with Mersin individually and will need to find a way to keep its opponent from scoring easy baskets in the paint if it’s going to have a chance.
ZVVZ USK Praha (5-3) vs. Casademont Zaragoza (5-3)
When: 2 p.m. ET
Where: Pabellón Príncipe Felipe in Zaragoza, Spain
How to watch: FIBA YouTube live stream
Notable players: Ezi Magbegor, Brionna Jones, Maite Cazorla, Valeriane Ayayi, Maria Conde, Emese Hof (ZVVZ USK Praha); Markeisha Gatling, Helena Pueyo, Tanaya Atkinson, Stephanie Mawuli (Casademont Zaragoza)
Matchup details: Praha put together arguably its most impressive performance of the season in its last game against Polkowice, holding its opponent to just 45 points despite not having Magbegor’s services. Things will be more difficult for Praha this time around against Zaragoza, though, which has the size and physicality to compete against the Czech club on the interior. Praha and Zaragoza rank third and fourth in EuroLeague Women, respectively, in steals per game, and are both strong on the boards as well, so you can anticipate a hard-fought battle no matter which way the result goes.
Žabiny Brno (3-5) vs. Perfumerias Avenida (3-5)
When: 2:30 p.m. ET
Where: Pabellón Municipal de Würzburg in Salamanca, Spain
How to watch: FIBA YouTube live stream
Notable players: Elissa Cunane, Eliška Hamzová (Žabiny Brno); Sika Koné, Arica Carter (Perfumerias Avenida)
Matchup details: Avenida lost another one of its imports over the break when Mikiah Herbert Harrigan left the team, and it’s safe to say the Spanish club has failed to meet whatever expectations were placed upon it at the start of the season. This opens the door for another possible upset for Brno, which is coming off a win over Landes despite turning the ball over 24 times. At this point, it’s unlikely that either of these teams will be making any kind of noise in the EuroLeague Women playoffs, though they could be a good match for each other this week; the battle in the post between Cunane and Koné could be interesting, while Carter has quietly been having a strong season, most recently scoring 21 points against Bourges.
