EuroCup Women Preview: Group H
MUNICH (EuroCup Women 2017) – We wrap up our preview of the EuroCup Women 2017 Regular Season by looking at the last pool of teams who will all get to step out in Group H.
MUNICH (EuroCup Women 2017) – We wrap up our preview of the EuroCup Women 2017 Regular Season by looking at the last pool of teams who will all get to step out in Group H.
There was a sigh of relief for French side Flammes Carolo Basket after they emerged victorious from the EuroCup Women 2017 Qualifiers by easing past newcomers Eisvogel USC Freiburg. The outcome was perhaps not that surprising, since the side based in Charleville-Mezieres has real class on board with Les Bleus point guard and recent Olympic debutante, Amel Bouderra. The long-serving playmaker is revered by the club's fans and is the centre-point of their roster.
Another player in terrific form is Belgian national team star Kim Mestdagh, who had to inflict disappointment on her sister Hanne during that tie in the Qualifiers as she was representing Eisvogel. Mestdagh brings a scoring presence to the table from the wing and when she is playing well with Bouderra and Alicia DeVaughn is going to work under the basket and on the glass, Carolo Basket can be hard to stop. Other key members of the team include the French backcourt duo of Lidija Turcinovic who impressed with Toulouse and Margaux Galliou who has consistently produced for Nantes Reze this competition. Meanwhile, returning forwards Valeriya Berzehynska and Kaleena Mosqueda-Lewis add continuity and depth in the paint.
While Eisvogel were edged out of contention, there is German representation in this Group from TSV 1880 Wasserburg who are now into a fifth successive Regular Season campaign. The reigning German champions changed almost their entire roster during the summer, although they have managed to hang on to one of their leading contributors in Sheylani Peddy, who led the way in scoring, assists and steals last season which underlines her ongoing importance.
The array of new faces includes German national team center Katharina Fikiel who returns to the club enriched by EuroLeague Women court time at Good Angels Kosice and in the Polish league at Artego Bydgoszcz. She will combine with French forward Soana Lucet, who is one of the few returning players from 2015-16. With Swedish guard Nathalie Fontaine making some noise with her contributions in the DBBL and Belarusian point guard Aliaksandra Tarasava reviving her career, the German side should be very competitive as usual.
Umea Udominate are getting ready to face their great rivals from up the Swedish coast in Lulea BBK and that will add spice to their already intense domestic battles in Damligan. Umea are entering their third season of EuroCup Women and are helped by the retention of star players alongside some interesting additions. The frontcourt has a familiar feel with Italian forward Ilaria Zanoni and Slovak Republic center Klaudia Lukavocicova, while the towering Zenta Melnika drops in from TTT Riga.
There’s a return for the all-action Hollie Mershon who can put points on the board and hand out assists, with newcomers in Lithuanian playmaker Santa Okockyte and Martina Staalvant who also occupies the point guard spot and arrives from their arch rivals Lulea. With captain Agnes Nordstrom re-signing, Udominate will hope they can improve on what was a disappointing 0-6 Regular Season in 2015-16.
While Lulea BBK have hit a few early bumps in the road in the Swedish League, they are likely to feel more confident heading into EuroCup Women with last season’s rookie campaign now under their belts, especially as they made people sit up and take notice with memorable landmark wins which propelled them past the first phase. Whilst losing some of their main contributors, they can still rely on top scorer Katlyn Bussey and also the evergreen Anna Barthold whose know-how guarantees points, rebounds and a tenacious attitude which others seek to follow.
Alice Nystrom adds to the experience of last year’s adventure on her return, while the new influx centre around the athleticism and potential of Dutch youth star Janis Ndiba and also FYR of Macedonia guard Jelena Antic, who has been showcasing her passing skills in a big way since arriving on Swedish soil.
FIBA