Everything you need to know for the EuroCup Women Quarter-Finals

MUNICH (Germany) - With a quartet of EuroLeague Women Regular Season clubs once again joining the competition for the Quarter-Finals, there are some seriously mouth-watering ties to look forward to.

Here's what you need to know for the four match-ups:

One former champion replaces another

During the EuroCup Women post-season, we had only one former winner of the competition competing in Sparta&K M.R. Vidnoje, but they were eliminated in the Round of 8. Yet we still have one former winner after Dynamo Kursk parachuted their way in via EuroLeague Women. They won the EuroCup Women title back in 2012 and will now face Perfumerias Avenida in their quest to move into the Semi-Finals in 2020.

Spanish basketball is still waiting for this silverware

While there has been success in EuroLeague Women, no team from Spain has ever stood on top of the EuroCup Women podium. But as we're heading into the tournament stretch, could this be the year? Especially as for the first time ever, they have more participants than any other country with three - Valencia BC, Perfumerias Avenida and Spar Citylift Girona.

Can Valencia turn yet another historic page?

One of those aforementioned clubs, Valencia, are enjoying their first ever journey in this competition and looking to take more steps after a fabulous rookie ride so far. They have big ambitions and now they will get to test them against EuroLeague Women Regular Season competitors Castors Braine. And, Valencia might just fancy their chances of making the last four. As usual they will rely on the sparkling form of Joy Brown and Meiya Tirera to fire them up.

Taking center stage

When Reyer Venezia and Spar Citylift Girona lock horns, the battle in the paint is surely going to be key. All season long, during the EuroLeague Women Regular Season, the Italians have relied heavily on their twin towers of Anete Steinberga and Gintare Petronyte to bring the noise - and they have. Trying to counteract that one-two punch will be tough for Girona, so there will be a big reliance on the in-form Naignouma Coulibaly and recent arrival Abby Bishop to stand up to the test. If they do that, then Girona could be in business and make the last four. But if Girona don't stand strong in the paint, expect Venezia to march on, as they did a couple of seasons ago when they contested the Final.

What are the dynamics of domestic rivalry?

It is always interesting when two teams from the same country are drawn together in a European club competition and especially if they have both made deep runs. So how do Basket Landes and Carolo Basket compare if you believe that the domestic records against each other (and in general) will both be a key dynamic. Well, at the time of writing, Carolo are 9-7 and Basket Landes are 8-7 in the LFB so they're almost identical. This is also the case in the head-to-head with Landes winning the first meeting 71-58 and Carolo getting revenge 76-58 in the return game. So this could be the closest tie in theory and come down to the small details. Carolo will need French star Endy Miyem and Belgian standout Kim Mestdagh to be game-winners, while Landes have an array of players in good form such as Ana Suarez, Lidija Turcinovic and Miranda Ayim.

 A clear tie of the round?

The past few years of the competition has been an absolute open race for the silverware and the same could be argued this year. However, there is no doubting that at least one frontrunner is going to be eliminated, since Perfumerias Avenida will face Dynamo Kursk and both clubs have been rated as having an excellent chance of going all the way. Other teams who advance will be glad to see the back of one of them as they are both looking really stacked. With this in mind, this is the clear tie of the Round and the one to watch. The lineup of talent is incredible, with stellar names such as Epiphanny Prince, Angel McCoughtry, DeWanna Bonner (Kursk), plus Temi Fagbenle, Tiffany Hayes and Jewell Lloyd (Avenida). Meanwhile Avenida are riding high after only just winning the Copa de la Reina against arch rivals Girona.

Two truly great veterans ready to get it done

Two very special players will be stepping out in the tie between Reyer Venezia and Spar Citylift Girona, as Laura Macchi and Laia Palau take to the floor. The duo, who are now both 40-years-old, are two of the truly great European players of the modern era and are looking to add to their glittering list of honors. In the case of Macchi, she knows what it is like to win this competition, since it was the first silverware of her career when she accomplished the feat with Famila Schio back in 2008. Meanwhile Palau has not won the tournament despite big success in EuroLeague Women, where the Spanish guard is the All-Time Assists Leader.

FIBA