Sixteen teams from Belarus, Czech Republic, Hungary, Kazakhstan, Latvia, Lithuania, Netherlands, Russia and Slovakia play in the fifth season of the European Women`s Basketball league. The first stage took place on October 2-13 at Brno, Rostov on Don, Liepāja and Košice. The awards for the best players are presented by Helissa Collagen after every game.
The teams
Season Five feature Belarus, Kazakhstan and Russia SuperLeague One champions, as well as Belarus, Czech and Slovak vice-champions. Žabiny Brno, Košice, Dynamo Moscow and Dynamo Novosibirsk have impressive record in European club competitions.
Žabiny Brno won the EuroLeague Women in 2006. Dynamo Novosibirsk won the Liliana Ronchetti cup in 1986 and reached the EuroLeague final in 1987. Good Angels Košice have played at the EuroLeague Women Final Four in 2013, while Dynamo Moscow is a three times EuroCup Women champion (2007, 2013, 2014).
Twenty four games were played during the first stage. There are four undefeated teams left – Žabiny Brno, Dynamo Novosibirsk, Tsmoki Minsk and Orange Lions all have a perfect 3-0 record.
The legends
EWBL teams have many outstanding basketball personalities – coaches, players and front office people. Košice coach Zuzana Žirkova is a three times EuroLeague Women champion (1999, 2000, 2006), while Rostov Don SFEDU director-general Elena Shvaybovych and Dynamo Novosibirsk manager Irina Minkh are Olympic champions (Barcelona 1992).
The new stars
Tiffany Jones became the first player in EWBL history, who grabbed 21 rebounds in a game, helping SBŠ Ostrava to win at Young Angels Košice. Miah Marie-Langlois, Jamie Scott and Ruth Hamblin played for Canada at the 2019 AmeriCup Women final against the USA. Less than two weeks later they guided Dynamo Novosibirsk to three wins at Rostov on Don.
Season Five feature players from 17 countries: Czech Republic, Slovakia, Lithuania, Latvia, USA, Croatia, Sweden, Canada, Russia, Belarus, Ukraine, Netherlands, Germany, Hungary, Ireland, Kazakhstan, Great Britain.
EWBL rosters are filled with players from prominent NCAA Division One schools like Oregon State, Kentucky, Indiana, Duke, Temple and Louisiana State University.
Live action
Game reports, features and live stats are available at www.ewbl.eu . All games are aired on Live TV.
