NEWCASTLE (Paul Nilsen's Women's Basketball Worldwide) - I'm in no doubt this year's EuroCup Women Quarter-Finals line-up is the best in the history of the competition and here are some of the reasons why.

- EuroLeague Women quality is overwhelming with seven of the eight clubs in this year's Quarter-Finals having played in the elite level competition during the past 12 months.

- The only side not to be included in that first point are newcomers Yakin Dogu Universitesi. But they are currently sat in top spot in the KBSL which is rated as one of the best two leagues in Europe. That means they are above the likes of Fenerbahce and Galatasaray.

- Yakin Dogu Universitesi have a roster which would have made a serious challenge for the Quarter-Finals of EuroLeague Women, let alone this competition. They are a team with national team players from top to bottom and 2016 EuroLeague Women Finalists like Angelica Robinson and Kayla McBride.

- Wisla Can-Pack are making their debut in the competition having been ever-presents in EuroLeague Women for more than a decade which shows their consistency and quality. They are also the Polish champions and recent Polish Cup winners.

- Good Angels Kosice are the reigning Slovak Republic champions.

- BLMA have won lots of domestic silverware in France during the last few years.

- Hatay center Courtney Paris is on fire and posted one of the biggest double-doubles in EuroLeague Women history recently against Uniqa Sopron and was the best rebounder in EuroLeague Women.

- Hatay only missed out on the EuroLeague Women Quarter-Finals in a three-way tie and are coming into these Quarter-Finals off the back of seven wins in their last ten EuroLeague Women Regular Season games.

- ESBVA-LM are chasing their third consecutive EuroCup Women Final, having won the title in 2015.

- Galatasaray are a former winner as well after they scooped the silverware in 2009 but then went on to even greater things in 2014 when they became the first-ever Turkish club to win EuroLeague Women.

- Galatasaray play-caller Marina Maljkovic is one of the most successful coaches of the most recent Olympic cycle after her heroics in masterminding Serbia's historic EuroBasket Women 2015 title and a first-ever Olympic appearance and medal last year in Rio.

- Galatasaray have still not lost a game all season in the competition with Maljkovic at the helm.

- Bellona Agu boast three reigning WNBA champions in Chelsea Gray, Jelena Dubljevic and a certain Ann Wauters, who won EuroCup Women in 2015 and is a bonafide women’s basketball legend.

- Let's look at the playmakers. There is the outstanding quality of Les Bleues star and lightning quick Olivia Epoupa (ESBVA-LM), the similarly dynamic Moriah Jefferson (Galatasaray) who is having a great first season that is seeing her rank as the top scorer and steals merchant in the competition while playing alongside another playmaker in Turkey national team favorite Isil Alben (Galatasaray).

- There is also the in-form Spanish veteran Sandra Ygueravide (Wisla Can-Pack), Courtney Vandersloot (Yakin Dogu Universitesi) who is handing out a mesmerizing 7.3 assists per game. I also love Teja Oblak (Good Angels Kosice) who propelled Slovenia to a first-ever EuroBasket Women Final Round appearance.

- Moving to the shooting guards and wings, what about the explosive Alina Iagupova (ESBVA-LM) or her team-mate and Olympian Valeriane Ayayi (ESBVA-LM)? Kayla McBride (Yakin Dogu Universitesi) has been sensational since she returned from serious injury earlier in the calendar year, Belarusian captain Katsiaryna Snytsina (Hatay) is great at selfies and also putting points on the board, Chelsea Gray (Bellona Agu) is tough to stop when she gets rolling.

- Turning our attention to the frontcourt and I refer you back to Courtney Paris (Hatay), there is Polish veteran Ewelina Kobryn (Wisla Can-Pack), twin towers Angelica Robinson and Quanitra Hollingsworth (Yakin Dogu Universitesi), while the experience and quality of Jelena Dubljevic, Ann Wauters and Lara Sanders means one of the best frontcourt rotations around (Bellona Agu).

- I look at some of the clubs who have made Finals in the last six editions and think at least half of the Quarter-Finalists this year would have beaten teams such as Arras, Elitzur Ramla, Dynamo Moscow and Castors Braine.

- The 2017 Quarter-Finals are impossible to predict because there are no real mismatches and overall, just so much class on display. I can't wait for them to start.

I rest my case.

Paul Nilsen

FIBA

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