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We’re three weeks into group play in EuroLeague Women, meaning that each competing club has played every other club in their respective groups once. Per FIBA’s official EuroLeague competition system—freshly updated for the 2024-25 season—they’ll now do it again in round robin fashion, repeating their previous matchups on different home courts, before before the first round of group play officially ends and the qualifying clubs advance to the second round.
Though there are three more weeks to go, we already have a good idea of which clubs are going to be advancing. Reigning EuroLeague Women champions Fenerbahçe Opet and ÇBK Mersin (both based in Turkey) were heavily favored entering the 2024-25 season, and they’re the only two clubs in the competition that still have undefeated records in group play. They also occupy the top two positions in FIBA’s latest EuroLeague Women power rankings.
Fenerbahçe’s and Mersin’s pursuits of group play perfection are just two of many EuroLeague Women storylines to follow this week. Since every game will be a rematch from Week 1, we’ll get to see plenty of adjustments made, particularly from the clubs who lost their opening-week matchups. There are also a handful of players, such as Brionna Jones (ZVVZ USK Praha), Haley Peters (Villeneuve-d’Ascq LM) and Luisa Geiselsöder (Basket Landes) who weren’t with their respective clubs in Week 1 but could be difference-makers this time around.
Tuesday, October 29
Tango Bourges Basket (2-1) vs. ÇBK Mersin (3-0)
When: 11:30 a.m. ET
Where: Servet Tazegül Spor Salonu in Mersin, Turkey
How to watch: FIBA YouTube live stream
Notable players: Amy Okonkwo, Morgan Green, Pauline Astier, Kariata Diaby (Tango Bourges Basket); Marine Johannès, Natasha Howard, Karlie Samuelson, Yvonne Anderson, Iliana Rupert, Marine Fauthoux, Regan Magarity (ÇBK Mersin)
Matchup details: Mersin may be the favorite in Group B, but Bourges has looked strong since losing to the Turkish club in Week 1. After a pair of blowout wins over Brno and Olympiacos, Bourges is now shooting 41.3 percent on 3-pointers, which is tops among all EuroLeague Women teams. Of course, with players like Johannès, Samuelson and Rupert, Mersin is more than capable of knocking down some long shots, too. These are two well-rounded clubs and while Mersin likely has the edge at home, Bourges will be a threat if it can get Diaby (69.2 percent shooting from the floor) some good looks at the rim.
Villeneuve-d’Ascq LM (0-3) vs. Fenerbahçe Opet (3-0)
When: 12 p.m. ET
Where: Metro Energy Sports Hall in Istanbul, Turkey
How to watch: FIBA YouTube live stream
Notable players: Shavonte Zellous, Kelsey Bone, Carla Leite, Haley Peters (Villeneuve-d’Ascq LM); Ariel Atkins, Emma Meesseman, Tina Charles, Gabby Williams, Julie Allemand, Nikolina Milic, Sevgi Uzun (Fenerbahçe Opet)
Matchup details: This is a rematch of last season’s EuroLeague Women championship game, but while Fenerbahçe has remained the class of the competition, Villeneuve-d’Ascq hasn’t maintained any of that momentum. The French club is shooting a horrendous 31.4 percent from the field and scoring just 56 points per game—both worst in EuroLeague Women—and a poor statistical matchup against a Fenerbahçe team currently forcing 13 steals per game. The addition of Peters (11 points and five rebounds last week) should help a little, but it would be a surprise if Fenerbahçe doesn’t turn this game into a blowout by the second half.
Casademont Zaragoza (2-1) vs. KGHM BC Polkowice (1-2)
When: 2 p.m. ET
Where: City Sports Hall in Polkowice, Poland
How to watch: FIBA YouTube live stream
Notable players: Markeisha Gatling, Helena Pueyo, Tanaya Atkinson, Stephanie Mawuli (Casademont Zaragoza); Alexis Peterson, Amanda Zahui B., Rennia Davis, Emma Cannon (KGHM BC Polkowice)
Matchup details: Polkowice gave Fenerbahçe perhaps the closest game it will play in the group phase last week, but has only a heartbreaking loss to show for it. Things were similarly close the last time Polkowice and Zaragoza met; that one didn’t go in the Polish club’s favor, either. It’s certainly no fault of Cannon’s, who has been one of the most productive players in the competition to date (21.7 points and 10 rebounds per game); her matchup against Atkinson will be one to watch, as will Peterson’s with Pueyo, who has been a strong backcourt defender for Zaragoza.
Valencia Basket Club (2-1) vs. ZVVZ USK Praha (2-1)
When: 2 p.m. ET
Where: Královka Arena in Prague, Czech Republic
How to watch: FIBA YouTube live stream
Notable players: Alina Iagupova, Stephanie Mavunga, Yvonne Turner, Leticia Romero, Bernadett Határ, Alba Torrens (Valencia Basket Club); Brionna Jones, Isabelle Harrison, Maite Cazorla, Valeriane Ayayi, Maria Conde, Emese Hof (ZVVZ USK Praha)
Matchup details: This is perhaps the most compelling matchup of the week, especially considering Valencia soundly defeated perennial powerhouse Praha in their first meeting. Praha didn’t have Jones at its disposal, though; in her season debut last week, Jones recorded 19 points and 11 rebounds, and she’ll be a problem for just about every opponent moving forward with her size and strength. We’ll see how Valencia handles the challenge; the Spanish club is currently leading EuroLeague Women in rebounds per game at 42.7, and it wouldn’t be surprising if this game turns into a battle in the paint.
Wednesday, October 30
Žabiny Brno (1-2) vs. Olympiacos B.C. (0-3)
When: 11 a.m. ET
Where: Peace and Friendship Stadium in Piraeus, Greece
How to watch: FIBA YouTube live stream
Notable players: Elissa Cunane, Eliška Hamzová (Žabiny Brno); Kyra Lambert, Ivana Raca, Rebecca Tobin (Olympiacos B.C.)
Matchup details: Of all the team-wide Week 1 performances, Brno’s 3-point barrage (16-for-27) may have been most anomalous. The Czech club will, of course, try to find that kind of offense again against Olympiacos, which has allowed 87 points per game through three weeks and is not looking like a team that can stand up against most others in the competition. Even if Brno can’t replicate its previous 3-point output, this still qualifies as a must-win game, given the level of competition elsewhere in Group B; Brno simply isn’t as good as Bourges or Mersin and thus must take wins where it can get them.
Basket Landes (1-2) vs. DVTK HUN-Therm (1-2)
When: 1 p.m. ET
Where: DVTK Aréna in Miskolc, Hungary
How to watch: FIBA YouTube live stream
Notable players: Destiny Slocum, Leïla Lacan, Sam Fuehring, Luisa Geiselsöder (Basket Landes); Kaila Charles, Aleksa Gulbe (DVTK HUN-Therm)
Matchup details: Landes’ Week 1 win against DVTK wasn’t the most aesthetically pleasing—the two clubs combined to score just 99 points—but it counted all the same. Landes has had little success since then, however, and could really use a breakout offensive performance. That will be tough against DVTK’s signature defense, though the Hungarian club has had some inconsistencies of its own, most recently dropping an important game against Avenida. Things in Group A are far from decided, and both clubs could really use a win to avoid falling into too deep of a hole in the standings, but DVTK being at home this time around likely gives it the advantage.
UNI Győr (0-3) vs. Umana Reyer Venezia (2-1)
When: 1:45 p.m. ET
Where: Palasport Taliercio in Venice, Italy
How to watch: FIBA YouTube live stream
Notable players: Cyesha Goree, Virag Kiss (UNI Győr); Awak Kuier, Lorela Cubaj, Kamiah Smalls (Umana Reyer Venezia)
Matchup details: Venezia was dealt a rude awakening by Praha last week, and after a strong start to group play it’s clear the Italian club’s young roster has more work to do before it’s mentioned among EuroLeague Women’s best. Győr won’t present nearly as much of a challenge, though; Reyer won in blowout fashion in Week 1, holding Győr to 59 points on 36.5 percent shooting, and based on the numbers Győr has posted since then (two more losses by a combined 29 points), there’s not much reason to believe things will be any different this week.
Beretta Famila Schio (2-1) vs. Perfumerias Avenida (2-1)
When: 3:30 p.m. ET
Where: Pabellón Municipal de Würzburg in Salamanca, Spain
How to watch: FIBA YouTube live stream
Notable players: Kitija Laksa, Jasmine Keys, Janelle Salaün (Beretta Famila Schio); Arella Guirantes, Sika Koné, Mikiah Herbert Harrigan, Arica Carter (Perfumerias Avenida)
Matchup details: This is one of the week’s more intriguing matchups, especially given the lopsided result the last time Avenida played Schio. Most would agree that Avenida has a much more talented team than that 92-58 score would suggest, but the Spanish club must now prove it was a fluke. Schio has been terrific at taking care of the ball so far, averaging just 11.3 turnovers per game, and has a pair of shooters in Laksa and Salaün that can cause major problems. We’ll see if Avenida’s frontcourt of Koné and Herbert Harrigan can give Avenida a physical advantage.
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