FIBA Basketball

Power Rankings: Our women's specialists tear up the official rankings for the next phase

MUNICH (EuroCup Women) - Now the door has closed on the EuroCup Women Regular Season, it's time to lay out our first Power Rankings in the competition.

And you had better believe they are not in line with the official seeding/rankings formulated after the close of the Regular Season. So for this first set of Power Rankings, we have compared the movement to the current official ranking in the competition.

RANK	CLUB	MOVE (official rank)
1			Cukurova Basketbol - Yet to lose a single game in the competition or the Turkish League at the time of writing, we are bumping up Cukurova from their official number 2 rank at this stage. They score more points than anyone else, dish out more assists than anyone else , shoot more deadly than anyone else and are also at the top for steals! They also have an MVP in waiting in Alina Iagupova. Actually, make that two - with Astou Ndour doing the business in the frontcourt.
2			BLMA - The way that Opals star and WNBA champion Sami Whitcomb is shooting, she could make us eat our words after we removed BLMA from top spot.We are still putting BLMA in the Final the way things look right now and do admire their work so far. With huge experience, and so many national team players (especially from France) they have to be frontrunners and will take some beating.
3			Spar Citylift Girona - Still unbeaten and having made a huge statement by trashing domestic rivals and EuroLeague Women competitors Perfumerias Avenida recently, Girona look the real deal. With veteran Spanish duo Nuria Martinez and Laia Palau pulling the strings, Shay Murphy going to work on the wings and Brazilian center Nadia Colhado a tower of strength inside, they look seriously solid and have that touch of class that could see them post a serious challenge.
4			KSC Szekszard - A slight move upwards for the Hungarians, who had eyed up making it to the EuroLeague Women Regular Season. Now they are chasing EuroCup Women silverware and can put their feet up for a while after securing a Top 8 spot. They are flying and with Erica McCall and Abby Bishop both lighting it up in a big way, and more to come from Frida Eldebrink, they will be a challenge for anybody across two legs in this competition.
5			Lyon ASVEL Feminin - They are tearing it up in the French League, they have Julie Allemand back from injury, Clarissa Dos Santos is killing it right now and so we had to give them a serious promotion from 12th place. Of course they have to navigate a tricky tie with Sparta&K in this next round, but it would be a surprise if they did not advance. It feels like they are nowhere near realizing their potential.
6			Investinthewest ENEA Gorzow - Only the slightest of falls as it is clear Gorzow, who are now already safely in the Round of 16 will be hard competitors and expected to make an even deeper run. Led by the vast know-how of the effervescent Sharnee Zoll and Belgian forward Kyara Linskens, they have racked up an eye-catching 87.2 points per game and only Cukurova can beat that! They look a dangerous unit for sure.
7			Wisla CANPACK - While the Krakow outfit and former EuroLeague Women side are not punching that hard domestically with a very ordinary BLK season, they have performed impressively in EuroCup Women. Leonor Rodriguez has played well again this season, but the question mark remains about whether they have enough firepower if she has an off-night. But they don't have to worry about it for a few weeks after progressing straight to the Round of 16.
8			Artego Bydgoszcz - With only one loss in the highly competitive Polish BLK, and with Cukurova the only other EuroCup Women side shooting more than 50% from the field, there is a lot to like about this team. Dragana Stankovic is the most deadly shooter in the competition - as well as the best shot blocker. With veteran playmaker Julie McBride serving up more than 7 assists per game, they should have more than enough to see off Basketball Nymburk in Play-Off Round 1.
9			Botas Spor - We had to give a bump up to Botas since they are the third most deadly shooters in the competition, have WNBA quality in Elizabeth Williams and Jewell Loyd and must surely shove past MBA Moscow in this next phase. Competing well in the Turkish League as well, their entire starting five are all having productive seasons, with Olcay Cakir Turgut profiting from her move out of the shadows at Yakin Dogu, while Tijana Krivacevic and Claudia Cuic (nee Pop) have shown their qualities too.
10			Energa Torun - They are solid and not particularly spectacular, but Czech Republic national team coach Stefan Svitek has got Energa Torun established nicely in the competition. They finished 4-2 in the Group Phase and now face Nantes Reze in a tie they should win, even if it looks like a potential banana skin that could make them slip up. Lithuanian Laura Svaryte has been superb and their teamwork is underlined by no fewer than six players in double digits for efficiency which speaks volumes about just how hard they are to break down.
11			DVTK Miskolc - It is probably the case that out of all the teams who qualified directly to the Round of 16, DVTK Miskolc were the surprise package and so credit to them for that. With Dora Medgeyssy handing out an amazing 11 assists per game, Egle Sulciute shooting the lights out, plus Maja Skoric, Shatori Walker-Kimbrough and Chanel Mokango all performing well, it has been a super team effort. But we are not convinced they are truly Top 8 material and so a slight drop in our power rankings.
12			Besiktas - What a roller-coaster it has been this season for the Istanbul club, who opened up with a pair of losses - prior to roaring back with a flurry of wins. After that difficult start, it feels like there is momentum behind Besiktas and therefore they are deserving of a promotion in the list. Evelyn Akhator is a beast on the glass, Kelsey Mitchell is a game-winner in any contest and Olivia Epoupa a reigning EuroCup Women champion. They should see off Orman Genclik - even if officially ranked lower. However, lack of depth is still a negative.
13			WBC Enisey - There will be high confidence in the Enisey camp that they can progress to the Round of 16 and even beyond that. They have two major reasons to be excited and that is their amazing home record where they continue to hammer teams (handy in a two-leg scenario now), while they have the leading scorer and rebounder in the tournament. Yes, Stephanie Mavunga has been sensational - probably the season MVP of the competition so far. The only worry heading into the Play-Off Round 1 against MBK Ruzomberok is what happens if she is injured, in foul trouble or misfires for once?
14			Reyer Venezia - If you are wondering why Reyer Venezia, a team that participated in the EuroLeague Women Qualifiers only a few months ago, are not even higher, it is mainly because of this tough clash with Landes. Just to get to the Round of 16 will mean them having to play really well and they have been inconsistent this season. It doesn't feel like the chemistry is flowing or the team has quite clicked yet, but perhaps that was to be expected with most of their biggest hitters in Jolene Anderson, Cyesha Goree and Anete Steinberga all new arrivals. But surely that means they are only going to get better? We can't ignore their quality.
15			Basket Landes - It's possibly going to be the best tie of Play-Off Round 1 when Landes face Reyer Venezia, with very little to choose from between both teams. Landes have the immeasurable presence of French legend Celine Dumerc who is dishing up 6 assists per game, as well as Canadian rock, Miranda Ayim. But they also have a strong rotation too, the team concept illustrated by 10 players averaging 15 minutes or more per game. They are not to be messed with and this one might go down to the absolute clutch.
16			Tarbes GB - Our biggest fallers by some distance, we have opted to drop Tarbes down a massive 12 places from their official seeding/ranking of 4. That is probably a little harsh, but they are struggling badly in the French League, didn't have the toughest of Regular Season fixtures in this competition and relied strongly on Alexis Prince. They have controlled the glass really well and props for that, but they don't convince us as a top four side right now.
17			Galatasaray - There is no doubt that on the evidence so far, it would be quite something if Galatasaray went on and defended their EuroCup Women crown. Not least because they are the lowest scorers left in the competition with just 68 points per outing. Thankfully for them, they will see Lointek Gernika Bizakaia as dangerous opponents next up, but they have Moriah Jefferson and Isil Alben to try and control the backcourt, while Victoria Macaulay might just be the difference-maker as she looks to be the one top quality big in this upcoming tie.
18			Lointek Gernika Bizkaia - They were ranked back in 24th after the Regular Season but we are promoting them up 6 spots because they are probably the team with the most energy whenever they go onto court. They play a great tempo, are doing well in the Spanish League and will be no pushovers for Galatasaray. Their biggest problem is their lack of rebounding prowess and scoring options inside, so much will hinge on the ongoing output of their guards like Rachael Vanderwal and Blake Dietrich. Playing another low-scoring team like Galatasaray looks perfect.
19			Sparta&K M.R. Vidnoje - A slight uplift for former four-time EuroLeague Women champions Sparta&K on the basis they may have only just made this phase as one of the best third-placed teams, but they are doing reasonably well in the Russian Premier League and will be determined to make life difficult for Lyon. They have also looked after the ball better than anyone in the tournament. You also have to respect their win in Poland against the highly fancied Artego Bydgoszcz. Can they put this kind of level together across two legs though?
20			MBA Moscow - Only a very slight adjustment in terms of a one-place fall for the Moscow side, who are underdogs against Botas. Spilling the ball more than 17 times per game is a real weakness, while they arguably rely far too heavily on Russia national national team member Anna Leshkovtseva. They do shoot the ball reasonably well and the key question will probably be connected to whether their bench can step up.
21			Ormanspor - Looking strong and potentially capable of making a deeper run in the competition, a recent disciplinary issue involving their star performer Kahleah Copper may have caused the wheels to come off their challenge. They must look after the ball better if they do want to beat Besiktas and will probably prefer a team they know. But Besiktas are the favorites and especially if Copper does not play.
22			MBK Ruzomberok - Few teams manage the long trip to Krasnoyarsk to face WBC Enisey and that is what is now ahead of MBK Ruzomberok. They must also try and contain Stephanie Mavunga who has been sensational for their opponents. They have an outside shot but unless Mavunga gets stuck inside the locker room and does not appear, the Slovakian side will surely fall. They might have a slight edge in the backcourt, which is one cause for some optimism.
23			Nantes Reze - They squeezed through from the Regular Season after a double-overtime win in the last game of the group stage. They're struggling in the French League and it is hard to see Nantes progressing further. Energa Torun will be favorites in Play-Off Round 1. Meanwhile props to the work of center Briana Day, who has been terrific. Torun must take care of her.
24			Basketball Nymburk- They are the joint lowest scorers left in the competition and it is that lack of firepower which is likely to mean the Czech side will be dumped out of the tournament by the sharp-shooting Artego Bydgoszcz. At least they do have the all-action Chloe Wells who is surely one of the players of the season so far. But to pull off a surprise, she can't do it all alone any more.