ZARAGOZA (Spain) - The winners of the EuroLeague Women Awards have been unveiled in a ceremony at the first-ever Final Six in Zaragoza, Spain with Emma Meesseman being crowned Most Valuable Player for an astonishing third season in a row.
The prestigious event took place at Caja Rural de Aragon and was also livestreamed on the EuroLeague Women YouTube channel.
The ceremony was attended by FIBA Europe President Jorge Garbajosa, FIBA Executive Director Europe Kamil Novak, FIBA Europe Vice President Carmen Tocala, Aragon Councilor for Education, Culture and Sports Tomasa Hernandez, Spanish Basketball Federation President and FIBA Europe Board member Elisa Aguilar, as well as FIBA Europe Board members Elisabeth Egnell, Huseyin Besok, Ivan Bodrogvary, Luigi Datome, and Amiram Halevy.
The winners of the season awards were determined by combining the votes of EuroLeague Women coaches, players selected media and also the fans
Most Valuable Player: Emma Meesseman (Fenerbahce Opet)
Having taken the award in both 2023 and 2024, Emma Meesseman took her third consecutive honor after shining as usual for Fenerbahce Opet across the campaign. The 31-year-old has averaged a performance efficiency valuation of 22.8 after harvesting 17.0 points, 6.3 rebounds and 4.6 assists per outing.
"I am surrounded by great teammates," said Meesseman after receiving the accolade.
"I have a lot of joy coming in and seeing them and working together. It's the people I want to share it with because everyone knows that if you are not happy where you are, then you can't achieve something.
"Credit goes to them," she insisted. The Belgian ace held off Fenerbahce teammate Gabby Williams and CIMSA CBK Mersin centre, Iliana Rupert who were also Finalists.
All-EuroLeague Women First Team
Headed by MVP Emma Meesseman, the All-EuroLeague Women First Team also included her Fenerbahce Opet colleague, Gabby Williams. There were also recognition for Maria Conde of ZVVZ USK Praha, Alina Iagupova of Valencia Basket Club and Iliana Rupert of CIMSA CBK Mersin.
All-EuroLeague Women Second Team
CIMSA CBK Mersin duo Yvonne Anderson and Natasha Howard lined up alongside each other in the All-EuroLeague Women Second Team, with Julie Allemand of Fenerbahce Opet also taking a spot. The five was completed by center pairing Dorka Juhasz of Beretta Famila Schio and Brionna Jones of ZVVZ USK Praha.
All-EuroLeague Women Third Team
The newly introduced All-EuroLeague Women Third Team has double representation from Tango Bourges Basket through the inclusion of Pauline Astier and Amy Okonkwo. Meanwhile Mariona Ortiz of Casademont Zaragoza, Janelle Salaun of Beretta Famila Schio and Valeriane Ayayi of ZVVZ USK Praha completed the lineup.
Defensive Player of the Year: Gabby Williams (Fenerbahce Opet)
Fenerbahce Opet star Gabby Williams snapped up the EuroLeague Women Defensive Player of the Year trophy for the second time in her career, having won in on the way to the 2021 title with Sopron Basket. She has had a strong season at both ends of the floor - making people sit up and take notice defensively with 2.8 steals per game.
Young Player of the Year: Iyana Martin Carrion (Perfumerias Avenida)
Spanish rising star Iyana Martin Carrion was named the EuroLeague Women Young Player of the Year after a superb rookie season with Perfumerias Avenida. Playing a near 27 minutes per game, she finished in the top three for her team in scoring with 10.5 points per game, was second in assists with 3.4 per outing and registered 4.3 rebounds per game.
Coach of the Year: Ruben Burgos (Valencia Basket Club)
It's been a historic season for Valencia Basket Club after they reached the last four of the competition for the first time. Masterminding the feat, Ruben Burgos has been rewarded for his efforts by being handed the Coach of The Year award.
Club Excellence Award: Basket Landes
Basket Landes took the EuroLeague Women Club Excellence Award. The French team received the honor having excelled across various areas including digital communications, fan engagement, game organization and many operational facets found within the EuroLeague Women framework
Legacy Award: Laia Palau
Laia Palau was honored with the EuroLeague Women Legacy Award in recognition of her outstanding and unrivalled individual accomplishments. She's the only player to have ever accumulated a staggering 1,000 milestone across points, rebounds and assists. The Spaniard is the all-time leader in appearances with 277 games and assists with 1353.
###
About EuroLeague Women EuroLeague Women is the premier women's basketball competition in Europe, featuring the top 16 teams from the continent and the world's best players. For further information about EuroLeague Women, visit EuroLeagueWomen.basketball or follow us on Facebook.com/EuroLeagueWomen, Twitter.com/EuroLeagueWomen, Instagram.com/EuroLeagueWomen, and Youtube.com/EuroLeagueWomen.