ZARAGOZA (Spain) - It promises to be a fantastic Friday at the Final Six in Zaragoza as the EuroLeague Women Semi-Finals take center stage at the Pabellon Principe Felipe.
A quartet of teams are looking to take one more step towards silverware, with Fenerbahce Opet still on course for a glorious three-peat and with ZVVZ USK Praha standing in their way at this next stage.
Meanwhile history would be made if Valencia Basket Club can overcome CIMSA CBK Mersin and make it to the title game for the very first time.
Fenerbahce Opet vs ZVVZ USK Praha - 17:30 CET
Fenerbahce remain the standout contenders to retain their crown and deliver another title, but history has shown that it is not always the favorites who come through. But, there is no doubt they will be tough to contain with their star-studded roster including Emma Meesseman, Gabby Williams, Julie Allemand and the recently added Kayla McBride who was last year's Final Four MVP.
Even if Praha are competing in their fourth consecutive Semi-Final, they will still be viewed as the underdogs in this one. They will be looking to Valeriane Ayayi, Brionna Jones, Teja Oblak and Ezi Magbegor to lead the charge as they look to serve up what can only be described as an upset.
Game history: The clubs have met twice this season already and while both victories went to Fenerbahce they were relatively close and both single digits. In terms of the Semi-Finals, this is the third time the clubs have met at this stage. Fenerbahce won 83-74 three years ago en-route to their maiden title and conversely, Praha won 62-49 in 2015 en-route to their first ever title.
Star player: EuroLeague Women MVP for the past two seasons and still in the race to make it three, Fenerbahce ace Emma Meesseman is likely to remain the centerpiece of their latest title challenge. Key matchup: Gabby Williams and Valeriane Ayayi is a colossal clash of two standout players at the peak of their respective power. The super defensive capabilities of Williams are essential for Fenerbahce and she'll be intent on slowing down her rival. Especially since Ayayi showed with 19 points in the Quarter-Final win against Schio how important she is to her team. But if Williams turns that tap off, it's potentially a long night for Praha. X-factor: Will Praha maintain the energy and can their bench players compete with the ultra-deep bench that the reigning champions enjoy? There are doubts over the availability and fitness of Maite Cazorla, so there might not be a lot of choice for Natalia Hejkova in terms of guard options. It's a headache and there will be big responsibility - both mentally and physically on Slovenia national team leader and Praha captain, Teja Oblak, to perform well.
Valencia Basket Club vs CIMSA CBK Mersin - 20.30 CET
There will be a sense of deja vu when this Semi-Final tips-off, since both teams only just recently clashed in the Semi-Final Play-Ins. Valencia should be able to rely on plenty of support from their fans and that might give it more of a home court feel. They have been dealt a blow with an injury to Queralt Casas, but still have a stacked roster with the likes of Leonie Fiebich, Alba Torrens, Alina Iagupova and Kayla Alexander.
Meanwhile Mersin will be buoyed by their hard-fought win over Beretta Famila Schio in Wednesday's Quarter-Final. Karlie Samuelson and Yvonne Anderson both caught the eye in that one and with plenty of other ballers also capable of doing so, such as Marine Johannes and Iliana Rupert - this game will be truly dripping with talent.
Game history: Both teams played each other last month, with the two-legged Play-Ins tie being split 1-1, but Valencia progressing on aggregate. Each team recorded convincing victories, Valencia winning by 32 points in the opening meeting and Mersin getting a 15-point win in Game 2. It's the only time the clubs have previously met in the competition.
Star player: Alina Iagupova might not have had greatest ever season, but she has still been a big leader for Valencia and starred in the recent home win against Mersin. If she erupts like she is capable of, especially offensively, then she could be the one to push her team through. Her explosive scoring ability and creative skills always get fans off their seats. Key matchup: With both Iliana Rupert and Natasha Howard both still working their way back to game fitness after injury layoffs for Mersin, it will be fascinating to see if Valencia's Kayla Alexander can can make the most of this under the basket. Canadian national team star Alexander has maybe not received the kudos she deserves for such a solid and impressive campaign. X-factor: It will be interesting to see if Mersin still utilize their zone defense at key times. If so, who is going to be the 'zone buster' for Valencia - with surely Iagupova the most likely to be able to step into that role having seen her ball out in the recent meeting? The other 'X-factor' could be how much Valencia miss Queralt Casas, since here ability to chase Mersin's shooting talent like Karlie Samuelson and Bridget Carleton off the line could be missed.
FIBA