The Ball-Knower's Euroleague Watch Guide

The European continental women's basketball competition begins this Wednesday so we get you up to speed on who and what to watch for across the pond.

While the WNBA season may be coming to an end (possibly as early as this weekend), it doesn’t mean professional women’s basketball goes on hiatus until next spring. Over in Europe, 16 teams begin group play to kick off the Euroleague Women competition.

No Cap Space WBB will be expanding its coverage of the Euroleague this season, including live game watch alongs on Playback starting tomorrow, to keep you up to date and informed about everything happening with some of your favorite players and top WNBA prospects. So let’s help you know ball and take a look at the Euroleague. from top to bottom.

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How does the competition work?

The Euroleague Women is effectively the basketball Champions League, with some slight modifications. Who gets picked is decided by Country and Club rankings, with the previous domestic league champion qualified automatically.

Some countries, including those from Israel, Great Britian, Belgium, Germany and Portugal, to name a few do not have any teams involved in the competition at all. Ten teams were involved in the qualification rounds, with five winners heading on to the regular season.

Once we get to the regular season (or first round), four groups of four teams play in a round robin format and get awarded two points for wins and one point for losses. If two teams have the same amount of points in their group, then tiebreakers are decided as follows…

1. Head-to-head record

2. Head-to-head point differential

3. Head-to-head points scored

4. Point differential for the entire regular season

5. Points scored for the entire regular season

The top three teams from that first regular season will move on to another round, in which the remaining twelve teams are split up into two groups.

Groups A & B merge from the first round and become Group E

Groups C & D merge from the first round to become Group F

This allows for a new set of round robin games that are completely fresh matchups. The bottom four teams — two from Group E and two from Group F — are eliminated and we begin the play-in round.

Still with me?

The play-in round is very reminiscent of the Women’s College World Series and their double elimination format.

#1 from Group E vs. #2 from Group F - Winner gets bye to semifinals, loser in quarterfinals

#1 from Group F vs. #2 from Group E - Winner gets bye to semifinals, loser in quarterfinals

#3 from Group E vs. #4 from Group F - Winner in quarterfinals, loser eliminated

#3 from Group F vs. #4 from Group E - Winner in quarterfinals, loser eliminated

Now we’re in the Final Six and things look a bit more traditional. Semifinal play-in winners have byes, the remaining teams play one another, the winners meet in the semis and the winners of the semis go to the Finals.

It’s a pretty new format that was implemented just last year so if your head is spinning a bit, I don’t blame you. But now you know, so if you hear a second round, a play-in round or a ‘Final Six’ you know exactly what it all means!

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Who are the best teams?

ZVVZ USK Praha

Country: Czech Republic

For the better part of the last decade, USK Praha has dominated the Czech Women’s Basketball League. Head coach Natalia Hejkova took over the team in 2012 and has, more or less, been a combination of Dawn Staley and Geno Auriemma during that time. The team went a record 256 games in a row without a loss and won ten national titles. That run of utterly insane success was bookended on both ends by Euroleague titles in 2015 and 2025, after which she retired. Now, the reigning continental champions return a roster flush with WNBA talent — from Bri Jones to Bridget Carleton, Makalya Timpson to Kaitlyn Chen and more — a new coach in Martin Basta and every club wanting to dethrone them this season.

Galatasaray

Country: Turkey

One of the most successful women’s basketball clubs in Europe, playing at Galatasaray is as close as you’ll get to playing in a major American arena environment. The Sinan Erdem Dome was completed in 2024 and seats 16,000 as the club has become a major bedrock on which the growth of European women’s basketball is built. The investment in the team is commensurate, with Marine Johannes, Awak Kuier, Dorka Juhasz and Elizabeth Williams all involved in the Euroleague run this year.

Fenerbahce

Country: Turkey

Much like Galatasaray, Fenerbahce is a gold standard club in women’s basketball. In past years, their starting five has looked like a legit WNBA roster and this season doesn’t look to be any different. New York Liberty teammates Emma Meesseman and Jonquel Jones will be paired together again but will have even more frontcourt depth in French rising stars Dominique Malonga and Iliana Rupert. Megan Gustafson, Monique Billings, Rebecca Allen and other WNBA fixtures dot the roster here. In short, they’re a favorite to win the Euroleague but, as we’ve seen in the W, a star-studded roster doesn’t mean you are guaranteed a tite.

Valencia

Country: Spain

Valencia has become synonymous with success in Spain in recent years. It’s not only an incubator for some of the best up-and-coming talent in the country but it’s attracted stars from other leagues here as well. New York Liberty forward Leonie Fiebich is on the team but if there are stars you want to watch, it’s 6’4 Awa Fam — believed to be a top prospect for next year’s WNBA Draft — and Alina Iagupova, long considered by many to be the best point guard in the world.

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Who needs an introduction?

Alina Iagupova — Valencia Basket (Spain)

Let’s start with one of my personal favorite players and one of the best point guards in the history of women’s basketball. Talk to anyone who has played abroad in the last decade and they’ll tell you that Alina Iagupova could’ve been the best guard in the WNBA at any point if she wanted to come over here. The timing never worked so instead the Ukrainian 33 year old has plied her trade in Europe and earned every honor under the sun in that time. While the step may be a touch slower these days, she’s still one of the best players in this competition and worthy of your time.

Murjanatu Musa — Basket Landes (France)

A breakout star in last year’s EuroCup (the second-level continental competition), Musa has been quietly improving year after year. At just 23 years old, she was a part of the now-legendary Nigerian 2024 Olympic team. This past year, she also helped power D’Tigress to their fifth straight Afrobasket women’s title. Musa is a touch undersized, a 6’0 forward but is a force just entering her prime. She was a part of the Phoenix Mercury this year, playing in 12 games before being waived in July.

Mariona Ortiz — Casademont Zaragoza (Spain)

One of the standard bearers of a Spanish national team that finished with a silver in last year’s Eurobasket, Ortiz has historically been something of a do-it-all type of guard. But so far this year, she’s been scoring at a higher than average clip. In Zaragoza’s two qualifying round matchups, Ortiz averaged 16 points, 7 assists and 3.5 rebounds per game. Alongside young star and Casademont teammate Carla Leite, they may make some magic in a game or two this season.

Teja Oblak — Galtasaray (Turkey)

Teja Oblak is in the same category as Alina Iagupova in that she could’ve come over to the WNBA at any time and thrived but instead stayed close to home and became a standard bearer. The Slovenian was a huge part of USK Praha’s Euroleague win last season and now joins a Galatasaray team that is positively loaded with talent. A fun fact for you soccer fans out there, Teja is also the older sister of Athletico Madrid goalkeeper, Jan Oblak.

Paula Ginzo — DVTK HUNTHERM (Hungary)

Ginzo has spent almost all of her career in Spain but is joining a HUNTHERM team with some good weapons around her. More of a scorer than a rebounder, the 6’2 forward is going to be put to the test against some of the best frontcourt players the world has to offer. But she’s got a nice international pedigree, having competed in the 2024 Paris Olympics with Spain, and is no stranger to the Euroleague in general.

Maeva Djaldi-Tabdi — Tango Bourges Basket (France)

A former Miami Hurricane who faced off against Aliyah Boston in the 2022 NCAA Tournament, Maeva Djaldi-Tabdi has started to ascend over in Europe. In the pivotal qualifying game just a few weeks ago, the French international scored 26 points on 9/13 shooting from the field and added four rebounds and two blocks to the box score. Tango Bourges is one of the teams in this tournament that is a little less star studded than some of the heavy hitters, but Djaldi-Tabdi may be able to help power them to some wins here and there.

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Who is the future?

Alicia Tournebize — Tango Bourges Basket (France)

To quote that incorrigible free trade advocate Viceroy Nute Gunray, “This is getting out of hand. Now there are two of them!”

Just as American basketball fans thought that Dominique Malonga was the end of the revolution of French phenoms coming to take everything we hold dear, here comes Alicia Tournebize to remind us that a 2028 Olympic gold is not at all a certainty for Team USA. The 18 year old plays for Tango Bourges and has already been two-hand dunking in Eurobasket competition. While she, like Malonga, is still a bit raw, the composition of a really good basketball player is there. I don’t expect to see her take over games at her age and frame but there are going to be flashes where you go “yeah, that’s the future.”

Awa Fam — Valencia Basket

It’s important to get to know Awa Fam now because when there’s an inevitable controversy about who to pick first in the WNBA Draft, you’ll want to be well-versed in the one European player in the mix. Fam is all over draft boards (including ours) as a potential lottery pick that can be the next big superstar. But this tournament will answer a lot of questions about just how ready she is. In U18 and U20 competition, Fam was dominant while remaining younger than her contemporaries and managed to comport herself well at 2025 Eurobasket where she competed against grown adults. The only place we haven’t seen her really break out is in club competition and this run, where she’ll see top level WNBA defenders in the post, is going to give us a lot of insight as to how high her ceiling is and could be.

Nika Muhl — Sopron Basket (Hungary)

Nika Muhl is finally back on the floor and fully healthy. So far, the Seattle Storm and former UConn guard has played pretty well in the top Hungarian division, leading Sopron Basket to the Euroleague as the sole player with legitimate WNBA experience on the roster. More than anything else, it will just be great to see Muhl back on the floor and competing at this level. Her defensive intensity is going to be a lot of fun to see as this Euroleague guard crop is phenomenal this season. If we can get some good tape from the 24 year old here, we can officially start a little hype train for the 2026 stateside season.

Juste Jocyte — Spar Girona

It was a shock to many that the the Golden State Valkyries first ever draft pick didn’t play at all her rookie year but, in some ways, it all worked out for the best anyway. The Lithuanian teenager has sky high expectations after being pulled into ASVEL Lyon’s development system (the same one that gave us Dominique Malonga and a wealth of other talent) and was the youngest player to debut in a Euroleage Women’s game at just 14 years old. Her youth can sometimes obfuscate the fact that she’s a really good player. In Eurobasket 2025, she averaged 16 points, 4.5 rebounds and 5.2 assists per game as effectively a one-woman-army for Lithuania. Now, with Spar Girona, she’s got some WNBA backup in the form of Chloe Bibby and Laeticia Amihere. Another pick for the ball-knowers and a potentially huge breakout candidate in this tournament.

Awak Kuier — Galatasary

One of the remarkable things about Awak Kuier is that she’s just 24 years old. While there’s been a lot of discussion about her as a WNBA prospect, she may just be one of those players that prefers to play in Europe. Kuier skipped the 2024 season due to the European calendar and the W’s tightening grip on keeping their players in the states. This past year, she joined Galatasaray and, statistically, is one of the best young players in Europe. Last season with Venezia, Kuier averaged 16.8 points and 6.3 rebounds in the Euroleague and averaged a 20 and 8 in EuroBasket qualifiers. Those that have only seen spot minutes of her in the WNBA may be surprised by how prolific she can be in this format.

Maltide Villa — Umana Reyer Venezia

The Italians have rarely, if ever, been a competitive force in the world of women’s basketball. But their bronze medal run at EuroBasket seems to indicate that there’s a new generation of players that are leading the way, much like France has done in the last few years. If any of their upcoming players has the chance to be a national figure, it’s Matilde Villa. Just 20 years old, the 5’7 guard was selected in the 2024 WNBA Draft by the Atlanta Dream as a draft and stash after a dominant showing at the U20 EuroBasket. Just a year later, she played a central role in helping the Azzurri qualify for the 2025 EuroBasket, averaging 10 points and 3 assists against senior level competition. I’m super curious how she performs in this tournament and what her ascent can mean for the sport back home.

Raquel Carrera — Valencia Basket

Like Villa, Raquel Carerra is a rising star for Spain at just 23 years old. Back in 2021, she became the highest Spanish player ever drafted by a WNBA franchise, being selected 15th overall by Atlanta. More a pure scoring guard than a facilitator, she’ll be positioned alongside Alina Iagupova and Leonie Fiebich in what is one of the more interesting backcourts in the Euroleague this year. While the W generally seems to be moving away from sole scorers in favor of more complete guards that can play both the 1 and the 2, Carerra should have a couple nights where she pops off and leads Valencia to a win or two.

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Where are your favorite WNBA stars playing (or expected to play)?

Basket Landes (France) —

Leila Lacan (Connecticut Sun)

Beretta Famila Schio (Italy) —

Cecilia Zandalasini (Golden State Valkyries) , Jessica Shepard (Minnesota Lynx), Kitija Laksa (Phoenix Mercury)

Casademont Zaragoza (Spain) —

Carla Leite (Golden State Valkyries)

CIMSA CBK Mersin (Turkey) —

Julie Vanloo (Los Angeles Sparks) , Luisa Geiselsoder (Dallas Wings) , Bria Hartley (Connecticut Sun) , Tiffany Hayes (Golden State Valkyries) , Kennedy Burke (New York Liberty) , Li Yueru (Dallas Wings)

DVTK HUNTERHM (Hungary) —

Kathryn Westbeld (Phoenix Mercury)

Fenerbahce (Turkey) —

Jonquel Jones (New York Liberty) , Iliana Rupert (Golden State Valkyries) , Dominique Malonga (Seattle Storm) , Megan Gustafson (Las Vegas Aces) , Monique Billings (Golden State Valkyries) , Rebecca Allen (Chicago Sky) , Emma Meesseman (New York Liberty) , Sevgi Uzun (Chicago Sky) , Julie Allemand (Los Angeles Sparks), Gabby Williams (Seattle Storm)

Flammes Carolo Basket (France) —

Liz Dixon (Former Phoenix Mercury) , Ashley Joens (Former Dallas Wings)

Galatasaray (Turkey) —

Awak Kuier (Dallas Wings) , Marine Johannes (New York Liberty) , Dorka Juhasz (Minnesota Lynx) , Elizabeth Williams (Chicago Sky)

Olympiacos (Greece) —

N/A

Sopron Basket (Hungary) —

Nika Muhl (Seattle Storm)

Spar Girona (Spain) —

Juste Jocyte (Golden State Valkyries) , Chloe Bibby (Indiana Fever) , Laeticia Amihere (Golden State Valkyries)

Tango Bourges Basket (France) —

Monique Akoa Makani (Phoenix Mercury)

Umana Reyer Venezia (Italy) —

Joyner Holmes (Las Vegas Aces) , Kaila Charles (Golden State Valkyries)

Valencia Basket (Spain) —

Leonie Fiebich (New York Liberty)

VBW Gdynia (Poland) —

Ruthie Hebard (Former Chicago Sky)

ZVVZ USK Praha (Czech Rebublic) —

Bridget Carleton (Minnesota Lynx) , Janelle Salaun (Golden State Valkyries) , Kaitlyn Chen (Golden State Valkyries) , Brionna Jones (Atlanta Dream)