FIBA: McCowan highlights key EuroLeague Women transfers ahead of Week 5

The 2024 national team break has passed, and basketball competitions all over Europe are resuming. EuroLeague Women is set to play its fifth first-round group play matchups this week, and there’s plenty on the line as the clubs that have not yet qualified for the second round will try to clinch their respective spots.

There’s also a bit of roster activity to get caught up on, as is typical around this time of year. Let’s start with the big one: 6-foot-7 center Teaira McCowan, who was previously competing for the Turkish national team in the 2025 Women’s EuroBasket qualifiers (McCowan is an American and Turkish dual citizen) will now play for Turkish club ÇBK Mersin. Mersin is already looking strong at 4-0 in group play, and McCowan’s addition will further fortify the club’s frontcourt depth.

Elsewhere, veteran Canadian center Kayla Alexander has arrived in Valencia, where Valencia Basket Club (3-1) will look to strengthen its resume heading into the second round of group play. UNI Győr (0-4) will not be as fortunate, though it will soon have the services of Canadian guard Bridget Carleton, who played for the Hungarian club last season.

You can watch for these new faces in Week 5, as well as the clubs that will be playing for a spot in the next round of group play, live and for free on FIBA’s EuroLeague Women YouTube channel. Here’s an overview of the week’s matchups, including which players and storylines to follow.

Wednesday, November 20

ÇBK Mersin (4-0) vs. Žabiny Brno (2-2)

When: 11 a.m. ET

Where: Starez Aréna Vodova in Brno, Czech Republic

How to watch: FIBA YouTube live stream

Notable players: Marine Johannès, Natasha Howard, Teaira McCowan, Karlie Samuelson, Yvonne Anderson, Iliana Rupert, Marine Fauthoux, Regan Magarity (ÇBK Mersin); Elissa Cunane, Eliška Hamzová (Žabiny Brno)

Matchup details: McCowan was likely brought to Mersin to start, though the Turkish club certainly has options in its frontcourt with her, Howard and more of a “stretch” big in Rupert. They’ll probably be hashing things out against Brno, which, like Mersin, has already qualified for the second round of group play. Mersin outshot Brno when the two clubs last met in Week 2 and won comfortably, but we’ll see if the 3-pointer is as big of an emphasis this time around with McCowan in the lineup.

Perfumerias Avenida (2-2) vs. Basket Landes (2-2)

When: 1:30 p.m. ET

Where: Espace François Mitterrand in Mont-de-Marsan, France

How to watch: FIBA YouTube live stream

Notable players: Arella Guirantes, Sika Koné, Mikiah Herbert Harrigan, Arica Carter (Perfumerias Avenida); Destiny Slocum, Leïla Lacan, Sam Fuehring, Luisa Geiselsöder (Basket Landes)

Matchup details: This is a huge game in Group A—the only group in which no club has clinched a spot in the second round. If Week 2’s results are any indication, Avenida should have little trouble with Landes here, but since no team from Group A has been eliminated, it’s going to be treated as a must-win game for both sides. The team that wins this game will officially advance. We’ll see if Landes can shoot the ball a little better from the field than it did against Avenida in their first meeting (32.8 percent).

Olympiacos B.C. (0-4) vs. Tango Bourges Basket (2-2)

When: 2 p.m. ET

Where: Palais des Sports du Prado in Bourges, France

How to watch: FIBA YouTube live stream

Notable players: Kyra Lambert, Ivana Raca, Rebecca Tobin (Olympiacos B.C.); Amy Okonkwo, Morgan Green, Pauline Astier, Kariata Diaby (Tango Bourges Basket)

Matchup details: In a good example of point differential silliness, Olympiacos is technically still able to advance to the second round of group play, but will need a 35-point win over Bourges in order to do so, according to FIBA. This is, needless to say, quite unlikely. Bourges won every quarter when it last played Olympiacos, and nothing since then has instilled any additional confidence in the Greek club, which has been at an overall talent disadvantage in just about every game it’s played this season.

KGHM BC Polkowice (1-3) vs. Villeneuve-d’Ascq LM (0-4)

When: 2 p.m. ET

Where: Palacium in Villeneuve-d’Ascq, France

How to watch: FIBA YouTube live stream

Notable players: Alexis Peterson, Amanda Zahui B., Rennia Davis, Emma Cannon (KGHM BC Polkowice); Shavonte Zellous, Kelsey Bone, Carla Leite, Haley Peters (Villeneuve-d’Ascq LM)

Matchup details: In Group C, things are simple: If Polkowice wins against Villeneuve-d’Ascq, it advances as the group’s third and final club in the second round. Things were not particularly close back in Week 2, with the Polish club riding a huge second quarter to a comfortable victory over Villeneuve-d’Ascq. To say things have been disappointing for Villeneuve-d’Ascq after a second-place finish last season would be an understatement. Even if the French club wins for the first time this week, it would be a massive long shot to make the second round with a game against Zaragoza looming.

Fenerbahçe Opet (4-0) vs. Casademont Zaragoza (3-1)

When: 2 p.m. ET

Where: Pabellón Príncipe Felipe in Zaragoza, Spain

How to watch: FIBA YouTube live stream

Notable players: Ariel Atkins, Emma Meesseman, Tina Charles, Gabby Williams, Julie Allemand, Nikolina Milić, Sevgi Uzun (Fenerbahçe Opet); Markeisha Gatling, Helena Pueyo, Tanaya Atkinson, Stephanie Mawuli (Casademont Zaragoza)

Matchup details: Can Zaragoza finally get over the Fenerbahçe hump? The Spanish club has been one of the few to give the reigning champions consistent challenges since the start of last season, and while Fenerbahçe will once again be favored this week (and for good reason), perhaps Zaragoza having home court advantage will be enough to tilt things the other way. In any case, there are no second-round implications to be had here; both Fenerbahçe and Zaragoza have already clinched their spots.

Umana Reyer Venezia (3-1) vs. Valencia Basket Club (3-1)

When: 2 p.m. ET

Where: Pabellón Fuente de San Luis in Valencia, Spain

How to watch: FIBA YouTube live stream

Notable players: Awak Kuier, Lorela Cubaj, Kamiah Smalls (Umana Reyer Venezia); Alina Iagupova, Stephanie Mavunga, Yvonne Turner, Kayla Alexander, Leticia Romero, Bernadett Határ, Alba Torrens (Valencia Basket Club)

Matchup details: Venezia’s Week 2 win over Valencia was just one of several early-season successes for the Italian club, which has somewhat surprisingly already clinched its spot in the second round of group play. Valencia, too, will be moving on, though as a club widely expected to compete for a championship this season, it probably won’t be content with simply coasting onto the next round; look for the veteran-laden Valencia to show out at home as it looks for revenge against its Group D rival.

Thursday, November 21

ZVVZ USK Praha (2-2) vs. UNI Győr (0-4)

When: 12 p.m. ET

Where: University Hall of Györ in Győr, Hungary

How to watch: FIBA YouTube live stream

Notable players: Brionna Jones, Isabelle Harrison, Maite Cazorla, Valeriane Ayayi, Maria Conde, Emese Hof (ZVVZ USK Praha); Bridget Carleton, Cyesha Goree (UNI Győr)

Matchup details: Somewhat surprisingly, Praha has yet to clinch a spot in the second round, but there’s a good chance the Czech club officially makes it this week. According to FIBA, Praha will advance with a win or a loss by 12 points or fewer. While Ezi Magbegor still has yet to make her season debut for Praha, her services may not be necessary in this matchup; Praha defeated Györ comfortably back in Week 2 without Magbegor or Jones, and though Györ absolutely must win this game in order to stay in the second-round hunt, it’s not looking like a realistic outcome on paper.

DVTK HUN-Therm (1-3) vs. Beretta Famila Schio (3-1)

When: 2 p.m. ET

Where: Palazzetto Livio Romare in Schio, Italy

How to watch: FIBA YouTube live stream

Notable players: Kaila Charles, Aleksa Gulbe (DVTK HUN-Therm); Kitija Laksa, Jasmine Keys, Janelle Salaün (Beretta Famila Schio)

Matchup details: DVTK is hanging on for dear life to its hopes of making the second round, having previously defeated Schio in Week 2 but losing the rest of its games to this point. The Hungarian club would have to hope for a big amount of outside help, starting with a Landes victory over Avenida, in order to remain in the picture. Schio, on the other hand, hasn’t qualified just yet, but according to FIBA, will make the second round either by winning against DVTK or by watching Landes defeat Avenida. Either way, Schio has been the most impressive club in Group A, and don’t be surprised if it takes care of its own business here at home.