It’s still very early in the 2025-26 EuroLeague Women season, but we’re already seeing a good amount of movement, particularly for Turkish club Fenerbahçe Opet. Fenerbahçe announced that Kayla McBride,
who previously won EuroLeague Women championships with the club in 2023 and 2024, and Megan Gustafson have joined the team. They replace Monique Billings, who is signed to play in the United States for Unrivaled.
It’s typical for players to come and go during the course of a EuroLeague Women regular season, especially for clubs with large budgets like Fenerbahçe. Teaira McCowan, who became a naturalized Turkish citizen in 2023, also signed with Fenerbahçe, though she isn’t expected to suit up until next month.
Needless to say, Fenerbahçe is once again a favorite to win it all this season. The Turkish giant will shoot for a 3-0 record in group play this week when it takes on Greek club Olympiacos SFP, which is coming off its first-ever EuroLeague Women win. This game, as with every other EuroLeague Women matchup, will be streamed live and for free on FIBA’s EuroLeague Women YouTube channel.
Wednesday, October 22
ZVVZ USK Praha (1-1) vs. VBW Gdynia (0-2)
- When: 12 p.m. ET
- Where: Polsat Plus Arena in Gdynia, Poland
- How to watch: FIBA YouTube live stream
- Players to watch: Janelle Salaün, Makayla Timpson, Kaitlyn Chen, Valeriane Ayayi, Maite Cazorla, Pauline Astier (ZVVZ USK Praha); Ruthy Hebard, Stephanie Jones, Matilda Ekh (VBW Gdynia)
- Matchup details: Praha isn’t looking like the powerhouse it once was, especially with Ayayi starting the season cold (24 percent shooting), but the defending champs will have every opportunity to bounce back this week. Gdynia is looking like one of the weaker teams in the competition early on, having been outscored by 48 points in its first two games, and there doesn’t seem to be much chance of it staging a comeback in Group A. As long as Praha takes care of the basketball—the Czech club has an assist/turnover ratio of just 0.8 so far—it should cruise to victory in Week 3.
Galatasaray Çağdaş Faktoring (2-0) vs. Sopron Basket (0-2)
- When: 12 p.m. ET
- Where: Aréna Sopron in Sopron, Hungary
- How to watch: FIBA YouTube live stream
- Players to watch: Elizabeth Williams, Dorka Juhász, Awak Kuier, Kamiah Smalls (Galatasaray Çağdaş Faktoring); Nika Mühl, Jelena Brooks (Sopron Basket)
- Matchup details: Marine Johannès has yet to make her season debut for Galatasaray, but the Turkish club has nonetheless started strong and is looking like an early favorite to come out on top of Group B. While neither of Galatasaray’s wins have been super convincing, Sopron probably won’t be as big of a challenge, having lost its first two games by a total of 45 points. There’s a chance that Sopron’s shooting (37 percent from the field and 27.7 percent on 3-pointers) regresses positively, which may be the only route towards an upset. As a whole, Sopron’s roster doesn’t match up favorably against Galatasaray’s length, so Brooks (14 points per game) will need to have a strong scoring performance.
Casademont Zaragoza (1-1) vs. Çimsa ÇBK Mersin (0-2)
- When: 12 p.m. ET
- Where: Servet Tazegül Spor Salonu in Mersin, Turkey
- How to watch: FIBA YouTube live stream
- Players to watch: Carla Leite, Stephanie Mawuli, Helena Pueyo, Nadia Fingall (Casademont Zaragoza); Tiffany Hayes, Kennedy Burke, Luisa Geiselsöder, Julie Vanloo, Beatrice Mompremier (ÇİMSA ÇBK Mersin)
- Matchup details: Mersin’s slow start is surprising given the amount of talent on its roster, and while its current margin of defeat (11 total points in two games) doesn’t immediately spell doom, the Turkish club is going to need to get a win soon if it’s going to hang around in Group D. Zaragoza showed hints at being a tough, scrappy team back in the qualifying round and has carried that over to group play, currently ranking third in the competition in steals per game (11.8), and it will have to lean into that advantage against Mersin, which has been the better team on the boards, 38 rebounds per game to 32.
Tango Bourges Basket (1-1) vs. Spar Girona (2-0)
- When: 1 p.m. ET
- Where: Pavelló Fontajau in Girona, Spain
- How to watch: FIBA YouTube live stream
- Players to watch: Kariata Diaby, Tima Pouye, Marie-Paule Foppossi (Tango Bourges Basket); Laeticia Amihere, Justė Jocytė, Arica Carter (Spar Girona)
- Matchup details: Girona has been one of the competition’s pleasant surprises early on, ranking second in EuroLeague Women in field goal percentage (47.6 percent) and first in steals (12 per game). Bourges, meanwhile, is leading the competition in rebounds per game (44.8), with four of its players averaging at least five or more rebounds per game on their own. Girona will need to speed the game up and use its athleticism on the perimeter in order to improve to 3-0.
Olympiacos SFP (1-1) vs. Fenerbahçe Opet (2-0)
- When: 1 p.m. ET
- Where: Ülker Sports and Event Hall in Istanbul, Turkey
- How to watch: FIBA YouTube live stream
- Players to watch: Ciera Johnson, Nausia Woolfolk, Eleanna Christinaki (Olympiacos SFP); Emma Meesseman, Kayla McBride, Megan Gustafson, Teaira McCowan, Rebecca Allen, Julie Allemand, Iliana Rupert, Sevgi Uzun (Fenerbahçe Opet)
- Matchup details: Olympiacos earned its first-ever EuroLeague Women win last week, showing a much-improved defense and holding DVTK to just 57 points. We’ll see if that improvement is for real this week; Fenerbahçe may still be assimilating its new arrivals, but even if McBride and Gustafson are limited or don’t play at all, this is still an uneven matchup. Fenerbahçe is riding high after outlasting Valencia in overtime last week (an early contender for the EuroLeague Women game of the season), and there’s little reason to expect an Olympiacos upset here.
Beretta Famila Schio (1-1) vs. Flammes Carolo Basket (1-1)
- When: 1 p.m. ET
- Where: Caisse d’épargne Arena in Charleville-Mézères, France
- How to watch: FIBA YouTube live stream
- Players to watch: Jessica Shepard, Cecilia Zandalasini, Kitija Laksa, Marième Badiane, Maria Conde (Beretta Famila Schio); Ashley Joens, Liz Dixon, Maïa Hirsch (Flammes Carolo Basket)
- Matchup details: Can anyone keep pace with Galatasaray in Group B? That’s one question that will be answered in this game. Both Schio and Carolo will be looking for their second win on the season, and each club has its own strengths and weaknesses: Schio fields a potent offense, ranking second in the competition in assists per game (21.5), while Carolo prefers a slower, defensive-minded approach, averaging 10.5 steals and 42 blocks. The French club could help its own case if Joens (14.3 percent shooting) can get going; otherwise, Schio’s offense could dictate more of this matchup than Carolo can afford.
Thursday, October 23
Valencia Basket Club (1-1) vs. DVTK HUNTHERM (0-2)
- When: 12 p.m. ET
- Where: DVTK Aréna in Miskolc, Hungary
- How to watch: FIBA YouTube live stream
- Players to watch: Alina Iagupova, Awa Fam, Kayla Alexander, Tanaya Atkinson, Raquel Carrera, Hind Ben Abdelkader, Leticia Romero (Valencia Basket Club); Kathryn Westbeld, Nina Aho, Monika Grigalauskyte, Paula Ginzo (DVTK HUNTHERM)
- Matchup details: DVTK has looked outgunned thus far, averaging just 57.5 points per game, but should be getting some reinforcements soon, as Westbeld is now listed on the team’s roster. That may not matter this week, though; Valencia is bound to enter this game with something to prove, having recently dropped a close game to Fenerbahçe, and will surely be trying to get back into the win column against an opponent it knows it can beat. On paper, this matchup isn’t close.
Umana Reyer Venezia (2-0) vs. Basket Landes (1-1)
- When: 1:30 p.m. ET
- Where: Espace François-Mitterrand in Mont-de-Marsan, France
- How to watch: FIBA YouTube live stream
- Players to watch: Kaila Charles, Lorela Cubaj, Joyner Holmes, Stephanie Mavunga, Ivana Dojkic (Umana Reyer Venezia); Leïla Lacan, Julie Wojta, Murjanatu Musa (Basket Landes)
- Matchup details: Landes earned perhaps the most thrilling win of the young season last week, defeating Mersin on a last-second 3-pointer from Louise Bussiere, and will now try to get above .500 against a Venezia team that has looked strong early on. With Mavunga, Charles and Holmes, Venezia has a powerful frontcourt presence, but Landes currently ranks second in the competition in rebounds per game (43.5), so this should be a physical game. It’s also going to be one of the more important games of the week in terms of who advances to the next phase of group play. There was no clear favorite in Group D entering the season, but if Venezia improves its record to 3-0, it’s hard to see the Italian club not moving on to the next round.
