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The 2020-21 FIBA EuroLeague Women Final Four is set to begin on Friday, Apr. 16, with four teams that went undefeated in the regular season competing for the championship: Fenerbahçe (Turkey), UMMC Ekaterinburg (Russia), Perfumerias Avenida (Spain) and Sopron Basket (Hungary). The winners of the two Final Four games will then play for the EuroLeague Women championship, to be held on Sunday, Apr. 16, with the third-place game being played a few hours prior.
Defending champion Ekaterinburg, with an all-world roster featuring a whopping seven WNBA players, is favored to once again win the EuroLeague Women title. Brittney Griner, Courtney Vandersloot, Allie Quigley, Jonquel Jones, Breanna Stewart, Emma Meesseman and Maria Vadeeva all play for Ekaterinburg, which is reason enough to tune in, especially for WNBA fans.
Standing in Ekaterinburg’s way is Fenerbahçe, another club that is no stranger to international success. 2020-21 EuroLeague MVP Alina Iagupova leads Fenerbahçe, which also features WNBA veterans such as Jasmine Thomas, Kiah Stokes, Kayla McBride and Kia Vaughn. Rising star Satou Sabally rounds out the Turkish squad.
Friday’s second Final Four matchup is between Avenida and Sopron, two teams that, while not quite as high-powered as those playing before them, still proved themselves to be among the best in the world. Avenida, in particular, is coached by 2020-21 Coach of the Year Roberto Íñiguez, who has an extensive history of EuroLeague Women success. Avenida also has a 2020-21 All-EuroLeague Women First Teamer in Katie Lou Samuelson, along with Tiffany Hayes and Bella Alarie.
Meanwhile, Sopron’s defensive-minded approach is embodied by none other than Gabby Williams, who also earned All-EuroLeague Women First Team honors and was named 2020-21 Defensive Player of the Year. Williams plays alongside Briann January and Megan Walker.
All EuroLeague Women games, both on Friday and on Sunday, will be streamed live and for free on FIBA’s YouTube channel. The channel also has every game from the 2020-21 regular season and quarterfinals archived, so fans can rewatch what they missed and do their homework in preparation for the weekend’s big event.
Game information
Fenerbahçe vs. UMMC Ekaterinburg
When: Friday, Apr. 16 at 9 a.m. ET
How to watch: FIBA YouTube live stream
Notable players: Alina Iagupova, Satou Sabally, Jasmine Thomas, Kayla McBride, Kiah Stokes, Cecilia Zandalasini, Kia Vaughn (Fenerbahçe); Brittney Griner, Courtney Vandersloot, Allie Quigley, Jonquel Jones, Breanna Stewart, Emma Meesseman, Maria Vadeeva, Alba Torrens (UMMC Ekaterinburg)
Keys to the matchup: While another Ekaterinburg championship seems inevitable, Fenerbahçe at least has the weapons to make this game competitive. Of course, that’s easier said than done, as Fenerbahçe will need to play mistake-free basketball while hoping most of Ekaterinburg’s stars have off-days to have a shot at the upset. There’s no secret formula or advanced gameplan here; this will be Ekaterinburg’s toughest opponent of the 2020-21 season, and if the Russian superteam wins, it should cruise on Sunday.
Perfumerias Avenias vs. Sopron Basket
When: Friday, Apr. 16 at 2 p.m. ET
How to watch: FIBA YouTube live stream
Notable players: Tiffany Hayes, Katie Lou Samuelson, Karlie Samuelson, Bella Alarie, Silvia Dominguez (Perfumerias Avenida); Gabby Williams, Briann January, Megan Walker (Sopron Basket)
Keys to the matchup: It’s Avenida’s offense against Sopron’s defense. Individual matchups of Hayes vs. January and Samuelson vs. Williams should delight WNBA fans — can Sopron grind out one more big win or will Avenida’s perimeter attack prove to be too much? As usual, keeping Hayes out of transition and off the free throw line will be of the utmost importance for Sopron, while Avenida must be sharp with its passing with Williams and January lurking in the waters.
Third-Place Game; Game No. 1 loser vs. Game No. 2 loser
When: Sunday, Apr. 18 at 8 a.m. ET
How to watch: FIBA YouTube live stream
EuroLeague Women Championship; Game No. 1 winner vs. Game No. 2 winner
When: Sunday, Apr. 18 at 12 p.m. ET
How to watch: FIBA YouTube live stream