EuroLeague Women Week 5 reflections

MUNICH (EuroLeague Women) – It was another fascinating week in EuroLeague Women and our women's basketball specialist Paul Nilsen has been looking over the main themes.

Fenerbahce trio flourishing under Okul
It feels like something special is happening at Fenerbahce. It might actually mean they don't reach the Final Four, or win the title, but if that sounds strange, then please bear with me. The young Turkish core of this team is finally showing its teeth as Ayse Cora, Tilbe Senyurek and Pelin Bilgic deliver against the vast potential they have always shown. Now the trio are contributing in the highly competitive Turkish League and also in this elite EuroLeague Women competition. They showed glimpses at the Final Four last season that they could be influential and have taken on this confidence into the current campaign.

As they have grown as players, he has grown alongside them as a coach. I like this playcaller a lot, and I always have since I watched him at work close-up with the likes of Bilgic at U18 level five or six years ago in Budapest. The additional bonus is that it is great news for Turkey too, with the players having already demonstrated their skills in the recent FIBA Women's EuroBasket 2019 Qualifiers.

How good are ZVVZ USK Prague and Bourges Basket?
These are the two main questions I am still struggling with. Starting with Prague, I was worried about them at the start of the season as they lost Sonja Petrovic, Ilona Burgrova, Kia Vaughn and Laia Palau. But they now find themselves at 3-2 after a huge 88-51 win against ESBVA-LM – achieved without the injured Alena Hanusova by the way, although the injury to opposing guard Virginie Bremont perhaps paved the way for the hosts.

The acquisition of DeWanna Bonner after the season was a huge boost and she has barely warmed up yet, so, that bodes particularly well. The Spanish backcourt of Leticia Romero and Marta Xargay is solid, Marija Rezan is improving all of the time and alongside her in the paint, do Prague have the most in-form player in the women's global game?

Swedish sensation Amanda Zahui really is something else and destroying everything in her path for both club and country. With Prague, I am trying to figure out if they can really push towards the Final Four, or my preseason concerns will come back into play. I am leaning towards a strong season.

As for Bourges Basket who are a dreaded 1-4 and with a crunch game next week against domestic rivals ESBVA-LM, they have so much potential on paper but something is missing. For me, it is a clutch player in the backcourt. KB Sharp and Cristina Ouvina have experience and the latter is so skilled defensively, it's just I am not sure which guard (other than the inexperienced Johannes) can grab any game by the neck and take over. Obviously this is a rare thing and not easy to find.

Olivier Lafargue will be feeling the heat a little – although since Bourges have been rampant domestically, he will be given time and is it just the step up in quality as to why Bourges are flopping in EuroLeague Women? It's hard to put a finger on it. They need to beat Villeneuve that is for sure and then they have Sopron and Prague which are great tests and I can't wait for those two matchups!

Team Performance of the Week – A tough one as nothing really stood out too much, but I am going to go with Dynamo Kursk for winning at Bourges. People just expect results when you are the champions and have a stacked roster, but it is not always that easy [as UMMC have shown].

Individual Performance of the Week – Amanda Zahui is a walking 'Top Performer' in all FIBA competitions right now and these 27 points, 11 rebounds, 4 assists and 4 blocks for Prague against ESBVA-LM were superb.

Cameo Performance of the Week – Not one of the biggest names even on her own roster, but hats off to Weronika Gajda who contributed a nice and efficient 11 points and 3 assists for CCC Polkowice before fouling out in a critical road win at Galatasaray.

Footnotes
What an emotional return it was for Giorgia Sottana as she went back to Schio for the first time with BLMA!