The 2025-26 EuroLeague Women season has officially begun, with eight games across two days launching group play. And, as is to be expected from the top European women’s basketball competition, the games did not disappoint.
Here’s a look at the most exciting game, as well as some of the standout performances, from the first week of action:
Galatasaray-Schio was the game of the week
The matchup between Galatasaray and Famila Schio was predicted to be the most interesting game during this two-day span—and did it deliver!
On the one side there were
Galatasaray’s twin towers of Dorka Juhász and Awak Kuier. On the other was Schio’s big three of Maria Conde, Cecilia Zandalasini and Jessica Shepard. And while not all the leading actors dominated, the game was tight up until the final play.
Schio led 39-32 at halftime and it seemed that the visiting team could win behind Zandalasini’s long-range makes and Shepard’s control of the interior. Both had six points in the second quarter, while the home side was carried by Kamiah Smalls, who kept Galatasaray in the game not only with the plays she made, but also with the energy she provided.
Smalls made two 3s in the third quarter, and in the fourth quarter it was her 3-pointer that put her team up 58-57.
Soon after, Galatasaray found themselves up by six and Schio were the ones chasing. With less than a minute left, Conde drained a 3 to cut Schio’s deficit to three points. 73-70 . With 14 seconds left, Schio had a chance to tie, but they lost the ball and so the score was set. Galatasaray celebrated with the home fans, whose songs accompanied them to the locker room.
Big games by big names
Helena Pueyo, the No. 22 pick of the 2024 WNBA Draft by the Connecticut Sun, has yet to suit up in the W, but back in Europe, the 24-year-old won silver with Spain at EuroBasket Women over the summer and is poised to have another good season at Zaragoza. Yesterday, she went off for 23 points (8-of-11 from the floor, 3-of-3 from 3), and her team won 73-70 against Basket Landes.
34-year-old Kayla Alexander hasn’t played in the W since 2020, but the Canadian big hasn’t forgotten how to play at the highest level. Playing for the Spanish powerhouse Valencia, she had 23 points and 10 rebounds during a dominant win over Olympiakos. On the other side, we got to see a solid game by Nausia Woolfolk, who had 17 points and seven assists in the loss.
For Fenerbahçe, Emma Messeeman was back doing Emma Messeeman things, and her team won by 31 points against DVTK thanks to her 13 points and five points. Iliana Rupert added 16 points and four boards, and Sevgi Uzun had 14 points and five assists. The three look like they’re going to take Fener to the Final Four again this year.
Gameday 1 results
Group A
- Spar Girona 86, VBW Gdynia 53
- ZVVZ USK Praha 77, Tango Bourges Basket 57
Group B
- Flammes Carolo Basket 82, Sopron Basket
- Galatasaray Çağdaş Faktoring 73, Beretta Famila Schio 70
Group C
- Fenerbahçe Opet 89, DVTK HUNTHERM 58
- Valencia Basket Club 89, Olympiacos SFP 74
Group D
- Casademont Zaragoza 73, Basket Landes 70
- Umana Reyer Venezia 72, ÇİMSA ÇBK Mersin 62
