Final Four preview: Who will win it all in Prague?

PRAGUE (Czech Republic) - The 2023 EuroLeague Women Final Four promises plenty of excitement with three of the four clubs chasing history and their first title in Prague, with the high-stakes Semi-Final matchups tipping off the action on Friday.

Red hot favorites Fenerbahce Alagoz Holding will go up against Final Four first-timers Beretta Famila Schio of Italy, while the only previous winners and tournament hosts ZVVZ USK Praha face Final Four rookies CBK Mersin Yenisehir Bld, hoping home court advantage can spur them on to another Final - as happened eight years ago.

Can they go all the way again or will we have a first-time champion?

Here is everything you need to know about the highly anticipated games on Friday:

15:00 CET: Fenerbahce Alagoz Holding v Beretta Famila Schio

Team Profile: Fenerbahce Alagoz Holding

Team Profile: Beretta Famila Schio

Form guide: Fenerbahce Alagoz Holding are absolutely flying and have not lost in 14 consecutive games in the competition. Having dropped the ball early in the season twice, they finished the Regular Season 12-2 to win Group A, prior to completing two convincing victories in the Quarter-Finals to end the reign of 2022 champions Sopron Basket. In the Turkish League, Fenerbahce finished second in the Regular Season with a 23-3 mark and are a favorite in the Play-Offs with CBK Mersin.

Beretta Famila Schio went 10-4 in the Regular Season and that saw them take second spot in Group B. They never lost a game at home and that included two Quarter-Finals matchups with Valencia Basket Club in what was one of the most absorbing and entertaining Play-Off games in recent memory. Schio recently lifted the Italian Cup and finished joint top in the Italian League Regular Season on 24-2. They will be expected to challenge for the Championship title.

Key matchup: The stellar names on show are countless and while most people might focus understandably on how Schio are going to somehow try and nullify the in-form Emma Meesseman and Breanna Stewart, it could be that it is the point guard match-up that is the true decisive battle ground. Schio simply can't allow Courtney Vandersloot to dominate, control the tempo and pick the passes she needs to make. While her numbers are not exactly eye-popping, make no mistake that 'Sloot' makes Fenerbahce tick in a big way.

Giorgia Sottana's experience will be huge for Schio as they try to disrupt Fenerbahce at source via Courtney Vandersloot

It is likely to be an Italian duo in Costanza Verona and Giorgia Sottana who are tasked from a Schio defensive standpoint to dilute her impact. How they manage to disrupt the slick Fenerbahce offensive machine will have a big say in whether the Italians can keep pace and make sure they stay in the game heading into crunch time. 

X-factor: Schio must take exceptional care of the ball and not give Fenerbahce any opportunity to kill them in the open floor. The Turkish team averages a jaw-dropping 24.1 points from turnovers and more than 20 points from fast break scores. Meanwhile if the contest is a tight affair heading down the game stretch, could free-throws be a factor? Interestingly, it is this season's best free-throw shooting team in Fenerbahce against the worst in Schio.

Breanna Stewart is the best free throw shooter in the competition and one of only two players averaging 20+ points

Did you know: During the 2012 Semi-Finals, current Schio head coach Giorgios Dikaioulakos was at the helm of Fenerbahce.

Fenerbahce are in the Semi-Finals for the ninth time in 11 seasons and will try to reach the Final for the fifth time during that period.

Schio have lost 11 of the last 14 meetings against Fenerbahce and have only scored more than 70 points in two of those encounters.

Breanna Stewart is one of only two players averaging over 20 points per game in the competition. She is also the best free-throw shooter with 91.7 percent from the line, making more more game (4.9) than anyone else.

18:00 CET: ZVVZ USK Praha v CBK Mersin Yenisehir Bld

Team Profile: ZVVZ USK Praha

Team Profile: CBK Mersin Yenisehir Bld

Form guide: ZVVZ USK Praha finished the EuroLeague Women Regular Season with 10 wins and 4 losses, which saw them take second place in Group A. They were then involved in an exciting three-game series against Perfumerias Avenida in the Quarter-Finals. Domestically they have been unbeatable as usual, having won every game once again.

CBK Mersin Yenisehir Bld finished top of Group B after also emerging from the Regular Season with a 10-4 record. They also needed a deciding game in the Quarter-Finals, twice blowing out Tango Bourges Basket either side of a narrow Game 2 loss in France. In the Turkish League, Mersin finished top during the Regular Season on 24-2 and will be a favorite with Fenerbahce in the Play-Offs.

Key matchup: Chelsea Gray is in such great form for Mersin and has been stacking up nice numbers and such influential shows for the Turkish side. Trying to nullify the threat she poses and especially in the clutch is going to be a real headache for ZVVZ USK Praha. Even more so because of the health doubts over Maria Conde who may be asked to fulfill that mission on a potential return from injury. 

Who guards the dangerous Chelsea Gray is probably the biggest question for Praha heading into this Semi-Final

It will be interesting to see if Praha turn to winger Valeriane Vukosavljevic for the mission as an alternative if needed and if so, whether that works. Certainly the French star herself needs some defensive attention at the other end of the court as she has been playing some of the best basketball of her career.  The other option would be to consider Teja Oblak depending on who plays alongside her in the Praha backcourt - but there is no doubt how the host club handles Gray will have a huge bearing on the outcome.

X-factor: There is no doubt that as hosts, it can go one of two ways when the crowd are cheering you on and there are big expectations. Praha must energize themselves with that passion from the locals and deal with the burden of pressure - just as they did eight years ago when everything went to plan.

From a more basketball standpoint, these teams are relatively well matched but Praha do love to push the ball and that higher tempo will be key. Can they dictate that? If they do they will increase their chances of making the title game since they average more than 17 points on fast break scores compared to just over 6 points from Mersin.

Helped by Brionna Jones, Praha are the best rebounding team in the competition

Did you know: ZVVZ USK Praha play their sixth Final Four in the last eight seasons. The only time they made the Final was in 2015 when they were hosts and also played a Turkish team in the Semi-Finals.

When Roberto Iniguez won the 2012  title with Ros Casares, he took over from Natalia Hejkova who departed the Spanish club earlier that same season.

CBK Mersin Yenisehir Bld are the fourth Turkish in the Semi-Finals after Fenerbahce, Galatasaray and Yakin Dogu Universitesi.

ZVVZ USK Praha have grabbed the most rebounds this season (43.6) and are joint-highest in offensive rebounds per game (12.8).

CBK Mersin Yenisehir Bld have made (14.5) and attempted (18.1) the most free-throws per game in the competition this season.

FIBA