New EuroLeague Women format explained

MUNICH (Germany) - The future of EuroLeague Women promises even more intensity and excitement, with a brand-new competition format introduced as of the 2024-25 campaign.

Set to culminate with the innovative Final Six, the revamped competition system is designed to keep fans on their edge of their seats and raise the stakes in every game throughout the season.

The proposal, brought forward by the Competitions Commission, was approved by the FIBA Europe Board during its May meeting.

How will it work? Let's dive in! 

Regular Season

A total of 16 teams will participate in the Regular Season, which will now be split into two phases – First Round and Second Round.

Just like before, the composition of the league will be determined before each season by the Country and Club Rankings. The clubs who earned direct berths in the Regular Season through their domestic competitions will be joined by those advancing through the Qualifiers.

The number of berths available via the Qualifiers will be determined before each season.

First Round

The 16 clubs will be divided into four groups of four teams in the First Round, playing in a round-robin format, home and away.  The top three teams from each group will advance to the Second Round, with the fourth-placed team in each group joining the EuroCup Women Play-Off Round 1.

Second Round

Carrying all results from the First Round, teams will form two new groups in the Second Round, with teams from Groups A and B merging to form Group E; and teams from Groups C and D forming Group F. Each team will face opponents they haven't played yet in the newly formed groups in a round-robin format, home and away.

The top four teams in each group will continue the EuroLeague Women campaign in the Play-In Series, which will be split into two parts – the Quarter-Final Play-Ins and the Semi-Final Play-Ins.

Teams that finish fifth and sixth in each group will be eliminated.

Play-Ins

The Play-Ins will be played in a home and away format, with the higher-seeded team playing the second leg at home.

Semi-Final Play-Ins

Already guaranteed a place in the Final Six, teams placed first and second in their Second Round groups will cross over and play in the Semi-Final Play-Ins, with the first-ranked teams playing the second-ranked teams.

The winners will be rewarded with a bye in the Quarter-Finals, advancing directly to the Semi-Finals, with the losing teams placed in the Quarter-Finals. 

Quarter-Final Play-Ins

Similarly, teams placed third and fourth in their Second Round groups will cross over and play in the Quarter-Final Play-Ins, with the third-ranked teams playing the teams ranked fourth. The winners will earn spots in the Quarter-Finals, while the losing teams will be eliminated.

Final Six

The season will culminate with the Final Six, a brand-new format for the end-of-the-season tournament, where the best teams in the league will face off in a single-elimination format to crown the next champion of Europe.

The winners of the Semi-Final Play-Ins will be awarded a bye in the Quarter-Finals, which will feature the losers of the Semi-Final Play-Ins taking on the winners of the Quarter-Final Play-Ins.

The four remaining teams in the competition will contest the Semi-Finals, with the winners advancing to the Final, where the next EuroLeague Women champion will be crowned, and the losers going on to compete in the Third-Place Game.

Click here to view the Competition System as a PDF file. 

FIBA