The season will start tomorrow. Let`s check how the EWBL teams are doing in domestic and international competitions, including the EuroCup Women (ECW) and the Women`s Baltic Basketball league (WBBL).
There are many positives to play internationally – a different routine, stronger opponents and new experiences. Many teams use international games as a springboard for domestic success and vice versa.
Žabiny Brno is a bright example here. The Frogs booked their first ticket to the EWBL Final Four in 2019 and a few weeks later won their first silver medal at Ženska Basketbalova liga (ŽBL) since 2014.
Brno is aiming even higher this season as they compete in the EuroCup Women too. And they are doing great, scoring two wins in three games against the top level clubs from Belgium, the United Kingdom and Germany.
Well, Žabiny suffered a 58-75 defeat at a home opener against the former EuroLeague Women team Castors Braine but are undefeated since then.
First, they traveled to the capital of England to beat the London Lions 82-74. Second, they destroyed the German champs Rutronik Stars Keltern 90-60. A quick reminder – former Keltern point guard Jasmine Thomas has successfully debuted at the EuroLeague Women, playing for TTT.
Petra Zaplatova is as good as ever. She has averaged 17,3 points in the first three EuroCup games, while dishing out a team high 4,3 assists.
A two time EWBL champion Anna Jurčenkova is also in a great form. She has 8,3 points and 8,0 rebounds to share a team high efficiency rating of 16,0.
Add Bria Holmes in the mix and you have a real Big Three. Holmes was raised in a women`s basketball hotspot named Connecticut but chose to play for West Virginia instead (2012-2016). Five years later she has five WNBA seasons under her belt (except 2018 due to pregnancy). And she shares her birthday with some excellent players like Candace Parker and Ilze Jākobsone.
Žabiny also have a 6-0 record at Renomia ŽBL. Overall – a great start of the season by the head coach Viktor Pruša, assisted by a Brno legend Jan Bobrovsky and Jakub Gazda.
Pieštanske Čajky are off to a winning start as well. Led by a highly respected coach Peter Jankovič – a two time EWBL champion with the Good Angels Košice in 2017 and 2018 – they have accumulated a 5-0 record at Extraliga Ženy.
Čajky won a home opener against the Young Angels on October 3, scraping out a narrow 70-69 win. They are unstoppable since then, destroying their less experienced opponents by 30 or more points.
Slovak team has numerous weapons as seven players average 8,0 points or more. These seven include home favorites like Vanda Kozakova and Alexandra Haškova, assisted by a Croat point guard Matea Tadič, a flying Finn Veera Pirttinen and American center Sarah Boothe (Stanford!).
Kibirkštis MRU Vilnius won the Lithuanian title in the spring of 2021. Gitautas Kievina`s team has posted a 3-0 start in the Women`s Baltic Basketball league since then but is not at a full strength yet. The Sparks were hit by injuries and are looking for the reinforcements at the same time. The opening stage may be a difficult one for the short handed Lithuanians.
Grodno Olimpia should have no complaints about the season so far. Yury Charniak`s team has posted a 5-1 record at the Belarus top flight, including a 78-70 road win at Cmoki Minsk. They rely on local players only, including the veterans like Nadzeya Nadzezhka and Natallia Dashkevich.
Saturday, October 30
15:00 Piešťanské Čajky – Kibirkštis MRU Vilnius
17:30 Žabiny Brno – Olimpia Grodno
Sunday, October 31
12:00 Olimpia Grodno – Piešťanské Čajky
14:30 Kibirkštis MRU Vilnius – Žabiny Brno
#StrongTogether #EWBL #Season7
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