EuroLeague Women 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 be just one of the week’s eight games spread out across Wednesday, Jan. 25 and Thursday, Jan. 26.
According to a FIBA panel of experts, Thomas and Mavunga currently rank No. 3 and No. 2, respectively, in the EuroLeague Women MVP race, with Fenerbahçe Alagöz Holding’s (8-2) Emma Meesseman leading the pack. Thomas boasts an impressive all-around stat line, averaging 18.2 points, 11.5 rebounds, 7.1 assists and three steals per game. Mavunga, meanwhile, leads the competition in rebounding (13.1 per game) to go along with 16.1 points and two blocks per game.
It should go without saying that, while Thomas and Mavunga have been among the most productive players in EuroLeague Women, their teams’ records will factor into things heavily when it comes time to determine the competition’s MVP. Thomas is joined in Praha’s frontcourt by Connecticut Sun teammate Brionna Jones, who missed the early portion of this season’s group play phase but has since picked up where she left off in the WNBA, averaging 17.8 points and 9.8 rebounds per game. For Polkowice, Mavunga is flanked by guard Erica Wheeler, who led her team in scoring last week with 30 points.
Elsewhere in the competition, Sopron Basket (7-3) will take on Spar Girona (6-4) in a game with a tremendous amount of defensive talent, while an impressive young DVTK HUN-Therm (6-4) team will aim for another upset against star-studded CBK Mersin Yenişehir Bld (6-4). All games will be streamed live and for free 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
Where: Metro Energy Sports Hall, Istanbul
How to watch: FIBA YouTube live stream
Notable players: 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 details: Fenerbahçe has been downright machine-like since adding Stewart and Sabally to its roster, winning its last three games by an average of nearly 35 points, and is now averaging 85.8 points per contest. Bologna should, in theory, also have plenty of offensive firepower, but hasn’t put it together consistently; the Italian club got a key win
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