FIBA: EuroLeague Ladies MVP candidates Thomas, Mavunga meet once more

EuroLeague Ladies MVP candidates Alyssa Thomas and Stephanie Mavunga will meet as ZVVZ USK Praha (7-2) clashes with BC Polkowice (7-2) for the second time in group play. It will likely be simply one of many week’s eight video games unfold out throughout Wednesday, Jan. 25 and Thursday, Jan. 26.

In response to a FIBA panel of specialists, Thomas and Mavunga at present rank No. 3 and No. 2, respectively, within the EuroLeague Women MVP race, with Fenerbahçe Alagöz Holding’s (8-2) Emma Meesseman main the pack. Thomas boasts a powerful all-around stat line, averaging 18.2 factors, 11.5 rebounds, 7.1 assists and three steals per sport. Mavunga, in the meantime, leads the competitors in rebounding (13.1 per sport) to go together with 16.1 factors and two blocks per sport.

It ought to go with out saying that, whereas Thomas and Mavunga have been among the many best gamers in EuroLeague Ladies, their groups’ data will issue into issues closely when it comes time to find out the competitors’s MVP. Thomas is joined in Praha’s frontcourt by Connecticut Solar teammate Brionna Jones, who missed the early portion of this season’s group play part however has since picked up the place she left off within the WNBA, averaging 17.8 factors and 9.8 rebounds per sport. For Polkowice, Mavunga is flanked by guard Erica Wheeler, who led her workforce in scoring final week with 30 factors.

Elsewhere within the competitors, Sopron Basket (7-3) will tackle Spar Girona (6-4) in a sport with an amazing quantity of defensive expertise, whereas a powerful younger DVTK HUN-Therm (6-4) workforce will goal for one more upset in opposition to star-studded CBK Mersin Yenişehir Bld (6-4). All video games will probably be streamed reside and free of charge on FIBA’s EuroLeague Women YouTube channel.

Wednesday, January 25

Fenerbahçe Alagöz Holding (8-2) vs. Virtus Segafredo Bologna (3-7)

When: 11 a.m. ET

The place: Metro Power Sports activities Corridor, Istanbul

Easy methods to watch: FIBA YouTube live stream

Notable gamers: Breanna Stewart, Satou Sabally, Emma Meesseman, Kayla McBride, Alina Iagupova, Kiah Stokes (Fenerbahçe Alagöz Holding); Cheyenne Parker, Iliana Rupert, Cecilia Zandalasini, Kitija Laksa (Virtus Segafredo Bologna)

Matchup particulars: Fenerbahçe has been downright machine-like since including Stewart and Sabally to its roster, profitable its final three video games by a mean of practically 35 factors, and is now averaging 85.8 factors per contest. Bologna ought to, in idea, even have loads of offensive firepower, however hasn’t put it collectively persistently; the Italian membership obtained a key win last week over Polkowice, however any momentum established in that sport will probably be snuffed out in opposition to the Group A-leading Fenerbahçe.

Olympiacós SFP (0-10) vs. Atomerőmű KSC Szekszárd (3-7)

When: 11:30 a.m. ET

The place: Peace and Friendship Stadium

Easy methods to watch: FIBA YouTube live stream

Notable gamers: Megan Gustafson, Kylee Shook (Olympiacós SFP); Victoria Vivians, Ruthy Hebard, Cyesha Goree, Sydney Wallace (Atomerőmű KSC Szekszárd)

Matchup particulars: Is that this Olympiacós’ finest likelihood at profitable its first sport? Szekszárd could have the higher report, however has been unimpressive recently, having misplaced 4 consecutive video games. These are the 2 worst defenses in EuroLeague Ladies (Szekszárd permits 82.3 factors per sport and Olympiacós permits 81.1), so this can probably be a high-scoring sport. Again in Week 4, Szekszárd defeated Olympiacós by forcing 19 turnovers; search for the Greek membership to take higher care of the basketball this time round and for Gustafson (competition-high 23 factors per sport) to proceed placing up huge scoring numbers.

Sopron Basket (7-3) vs. Spar Girona (6-4)

When: 12 p.m. ET

The place: Novomatic Arèna, Sopron

Easy methods to watch: FIBA YouTube live stream

Notable gamers: Ezi Magbegor, Yvonne Turner, Jelena Brooks, Olivia Epoupa (Sopron Basket); Brittney Sykes, Rebekah Gardner, Marianna Tolo, Shay Murphy (Spar Girona)

Matchup particulars: After a shock time beyond regulation loss to fellow Hungarian membership DVTK HUN-Therm, Sopron bolstered its backcourt by adding Olivia Epoupa, a veteran of the competitors who most not too long ago performed a handful of video games with Fenerbahçe, averaging 4.1 assists and a couple of.6 steals. That further protection will probably be useful in opposition to Girona, a membership that already struggles to fabricate environment friendly offense; given the variety of high-quality defensive gamers on each groups, in addition to Sopron’s signature slow-paced model of basketball, this can probably be a low-scoring sport whose victor merely makes fewer errors than its opponent.

BC Polkowice (7-3) vs. ZVVZ USK Praha (7-3)

When: 1 p.m. ET

The place: Metropolis Sports activities Corridor, Polkowice

Easy methods to watch: FIBA YouTube live stream

Notable gamers: Stephanie Mavunga, Erica Wheeler, Artemis Spanou, Weronika Gajda (BC Polkowice); Alyssa Thomas, Brionna Jones, Maria Conde, Temi Fagbenle, Valériane Vukosavljević (ZVVZ USK Praha)

Matchup particulars: When these golf equipment final met in Week 4, they delivered one of the vital thrilling, back-and-forth video games of the EuroLeague Ladies season, in the end ending in a 3-point Polkowice victory. Jones didn’t play for Praha in that sport, although, whereas Wheeler had but to hitch Polkowice; each are needle-moving acquisitions, so we’ll see which participant is extra impactful for his or her respective workforce on this huge rematch. Praha and Polkowice rank No. 1 and No. 2 within the competitors in rebounds per sport, respectively, and whereas Praha has the sting in scoring (80.5 factors per sport to 74.9), Polkowice has been far more practical from 3-point range, making 9.4 lengthy balls per sport to Praha’s 4.9.

Beretta Famila Schio (7-3) vs. Basket Landes (2-8)

When: 1:30 p.m. ET

The place: Palazzetto Livio Romare

Easy methods to watch: FIBA YouTube live stream

Notable gamers: Rhyne Howard, Marina Mabrey, Amanda Zahui B., Astou Ndour-Fall, Kim Mestdagh (Beretta Famila Schio); Marine Fauthoux, Regan Magarity, Celine Dumerc (Basket Landes)

Matchup particulars: We’re at some extent within the EuroLeague Ladies season when the contenders have turn into obvious. Merely put, Schio is one in all them and Landes isn’t. Schio ranks simply behind Avenida for Group B’s finest offense (71.8 factors per sport) and has the high-end expertise wanted to make a run within the EuroLeague Ladies playoffs, and the Italian membership is at present tied with Sopron for the group’s finest report, so it should probably get a chance to make that run in just a few weeks. Landes, alternatively, has been downright dangerous on offense (59.7 factors per sport), and neither of its two victories (Mechelen and Avenida) have come in opposition to the highest half of Group B’s competitors. This is likely one of the week’s larger mismatches.

Tango Bourges Basket (5-5) vs. Valencia Basket Membership (7-3)

When: 2 p.m. ET

The place: Palais des sports activities du Prado, Bourges

Easy methods to watch: FIBA YouTube live stream

Notable gamers: Yvonne Anderson, Kayla Alexander (Tango Bourges Basket); Lauren Cox, Marie Gülich, Raquel Carrera, Leticia Romero, Alba Torrens (Valencia Basket Membership)

Matchup particulars: Of the highest 4 groups in Group A, Valencia appears to be getting the least quantity of fanfare, but it surely’s the one membership within the competitors to be taking pictures higher than 40 p.c from 3-point vary and ranks second within the competitors in steals per sport (10.9). That two-way effectivity will probably be put to the check in opposition to Bourges, which gave Valencia an in depth sport again in Week 4 however was in the end unable to seal the deal. Bourges, too, is adept at forcing turnovers, so ball safety will probably be of the utmost significance for each golf equipment on this one.

Thursday, January 26

DVTK HUN-Therm (6-4) vs. CBK Mersin Yenişehir Bld (6-4)

When: 12:10 p.m. ET

The place: DVTK Aréna, Miskolc

Easy methods to watch: FIBA YouTube live stream

Notable gamers: Arella Guirantes, Cheridene Inexperienced (DVTK HUN-Therm); Chelsea Grey, DeWanna Bonner, Tiffany Hayes, Elizabeth Williams (CBK Mersin Yenişehir Bld)

Matchup particulars: With an exciting upset of Sopron the membership’s fourth-straight victory, DVTK is formally one of many hottest groups in EuroLeague Ladies — one thing not many followers would have seen coming a few months in the past. DVTK is confronted with an identical foe this week in that Mersin clearly has the higher hand in expertise and high-end expertise. Can the Hungarian giant-slayers do it once more this week? Mersin won handily the final time the 2 golf equipment met, however DVTK has momentum and confidence on its facet now, with Guirantes and Inexperienced turning into two of the competitors’s higher younger gamers because the season goes on.

Kangoeroes Mechelen (1-9) vs. Perfumerias Avenida (5-5)

When: 2:30 p.m. ET

The place: Sporthal De Schalk, Willebroek

Easy methods to watch: FIBA YouTube live stream

Notable gamers: Morgan Bertsch, Lisa Berkani, Ziomara Morrison (Kangoeroes Mechelen); Bridget Carleton, Michaela Onyenwere, Maite Cazorla (Perfumerias Avenida)

Matchup particulars: Avenida’s free fall continues, having now dropped four-straight video games after a loss to Schio and looking out much less and fewer just like the membership that began group play with a 5-1 report. Making issues worse, Serbian ahead Aleksandra Crvendakić, who was averaging 10.6 factors and a team-high 6.9 rebounds per sport, has left Avenida for a unique membership. All of that, in fact, nonetheless appears to be like tame compared to how Mechelen (seven-straight losses) has fared; on paper, Avenida nonetheless outclasses Mechelen regardless of its quite a few current setbacks, and easily should win this sport if it’s going to remain within the EuroLeague Ladies playoff race.