Group A: Who's going to challenge Fenerbahce?
MUNICH (Germany) - There's only one certainty as we head into the EuroLeague Women Regular Season and that is reigning champions Fenerbahce Alagoz Holding being the favorite and still the team to beat.
MUNICH (Germany) - There's only one certainty as we head into the EuroLeague Women Regular Season and that is reigning champions Fenerbahce Alagoz Holding being the favorite and still the team to beat.
Having also just comprehensively landed a first ever SuperCup Women title, the holders continue to be a powerhouse in women's basketball. Known globally for their famous name, their passionate fan base, and star-studded roster, for the first time in their history, they can also boast of being EuroLeague Women championship pedigree.
Group A is full of ambitious teams, with an array of clubs who landed domestic championships last season, with Valencia Basket Club, Beretta Famila Schio and LDLC ASVEL Feminin all looking particularly capable of pushing Fenerbahce for supremacy.
However, you can't rule out anyone in a one-off game situation. There are other domestic championship winners in Polish newcomers Polski Cukier AZS UMCS Lublin and Romanian first-timers ACS Sepsi-SIC. Meanwhile, DVTK HUN-Therm are back having impressed in their maiden Regular Season last year and there's a debut for Casademont Zaragoza who went deep in EuroCup Women.
How did they do last season?
| Team | In Europe | In the domestic league |
|---|---|---|
| Fenerbahce Alagoz Holding | EuroLeague Women | Champions vs CBK Mersin in Final | Champions | 3-0 vs Mersin Yenisehir Bld |
| Beretta Famila Schio | EuroLeague Women | 3rd Place at Final Four | Champions | 3-0 vs Virtus Segafredo Bologna |
| Valencia Basket Club | EuroLeague Women | Quarter-Finals (10-7 record) | Champions | 2-0 vs Perfumerias Avenida |
| LDLC ASVEL Feminin | EuroCup Women | Champions vs Galatasaray in Final | Champions | 2-1 vs Villeneuve d'Ascq |
| Polski Cukier AZS UMCS Lublin | EuroCup Women | Round of 16 (7-3 record) | Champions | 2-1 vs BC Polkowice |
| Casademont Zaragoza | EuroCup Women | Semi-Finals (10-2 record) | Semi-Finals (lost 0-2 to Valencia Basket Club) |
| DVTK HUN-Therm | EuroLeague Women | 5th Place Group B (6-8 record) | Third Place |
| ACS Sepsi-SIC | EuroCup Women | Round of 16 (7-3 record) | Champions | 2-0 vs Constanta |
The favorite: Fenerbahce Alagoz Holding
After a busy off-season and many changes, Valerie Garner replaces silverware magnet Marina Maljkovic. Some significant roster churn sees Yvonne Anderson, Kitija Laksa, Tilbe Senyurek and Napheesa Collier headline the arrivals list, although it is perhaps the retention of Emma Meesseman, and Kayla McBride that matters most. The big question now is whether Breanna Stewart will make a return later in the season - or not. But lifting that maiden SuperCup Women title is certainly a positive start to the upcoming campaign.
The challenger: LDLC ASVEL Feminin
Despite what happened in the SuperCup Women Final, you can surely depend on last year's EuroCup Women champions to have a fruitful first EuroLeague Women season and make a big impact. Once they have their main players back available, they can potentially be a power.
Any lineup that boasts the likes of Julie Allemand, Marine Johannes, Gabby Williams, Alexia Chery and Sandrine Gruda, plus plenty more talent off the bench like newcomers Marine Fauthoux and Endy Miyem will be tough to live with.
The star: Emma Meesseman - Fenerbahce Alagoz Holding
The forward has had an incredible calendar year. She spearheaded Fenerbahce's title success and piccked up her fifth winners' medal, having also been named the 2022-23 MVP at Final Four weekend in Prague.
Of course Meesseman then went on to make more history with that stunning first FIBA Women's EuroBasket title success with Belgium. Don't expect her to slow down any time soon and you can expect her to keep putting up those amazing performances.
The rising star: Raquel Carrera - Valencia Basket Club
Still only 21-years-old, Carrera is poised to post the best season of her career having shown her skills in a big way not only last season with Valencia Basket Club, but also at FIBA Women's EuroBasket 2023 with the national team. The forward was integral to Spain making the Final, finishing second in efficiency, scoring and rebounding at the event.
Last year with Valencia she was one of only two players who averaged a double-digit scoring return and posted almost 15 points per outing in the epic three-game Quarter-Final series against Beretta Famila Schio. Now get ready for her to continue in that vein and potentially help take Valencia to a first Final Four.
The question: Who will take Group A top spot?
While Fenerbahce Alagoz Holding appears most likely to set the highest standards, does any other team in Group A have what it takes to cause a splash and take top spot? Or, have Fenerbahce got this and will see off all other contenders in the main phase? You can share your opinion in the fan voting below.
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