Warm Up
30/10/2020
Paul Nilsen's Women's Basketball Worldwide
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Five things we learned from the EuroLeague Women Qualifiers

NEWCASTLE (Paul Nilsen's Women's Basketball Worldwide) - The EuroLeague Women Regular Season is now set after Spar Girona and Izmit Belediyespor emerged victorious to take the last spots.

As well as offering our deserved congratulations to both clubs, what else did we learn from the EuroLeague Women Qualifiers?

Dos Santos deserves a Regular Season platform

Clarissa Dos Santos is truly class player who I wish had played more EuroLeague Women ball during her career. Now a veteran at 32-years-old, the forward has played less than 20 games in the competition down the years, not helped by the injury that curtailed her time with LDLC Asvel Feminin most recently. However, it is never too late to shine and she certainly did that for Izmit Belediyespor with a monumental double-double of 20 points and 17 rebounds against Aluinvent DVTK Miskolc. Having a leading Brazilian national team player in the EuroLeague Women  Regular Season also makes the competition that little more eclectic and appealing in a wider sense. Plus, we have a new star and dominant player to follow and if she can stay healthy, then Izmit could be a threat to whoever they play.

You can't play EuroLeague Women undercooked

I am not making excuses for ACS Sepsi-Sic but it was abundantly clear that they came into the Qualifiers vastly undercooked due to the coronavirus. So, let's call it a reason for their eventual heavy loss to Spar Girona. Unlike their opponents who had played multiple games in the Spanish Super Cup tournament and in the league, this was the first competitive game in any competition for Sepsi. It was not a surprise they struggled early to shrug off the rust and cobwebs, then completely ran out of steam. Yes, massive credit to Girona and we will never know if Sepsi could have won had they been in better 'game shape', but head coach Zoran Mikes shouldn't beat himself up too much with this. It was a tough game to start with, but being so undercooked due to no fault of their own made this a bit of a mission impossible for the Romanian hopefuls.

We love it when EuroLeague Women history happens


History was guaranteed when Izmit Belediyespor matched up with Aluinvent DVTK Miskolc as both clubs were searching for a first ever Regular Season slot. The former achieved it and seeing the celebrations not only after the final buzzer, but also outside of the arena as fans gathered to cheer for the departing players was a great sight. In a year full of so many awful distractions and disruptions, it felt positive that for everyone associated with Izmit, they will also remember 2020 for a good reason - namely the year when they truly became a EuroLeague Women club. As playmaker Erica Wheeler declared (she was excellent by the way) - "It was special." And, we can add it to the long and rich tradition of historical EuroLeague Women chapters.

Spar Girona have what it takes to make the postseason

Maybe helped by the draw and the group they find themselves in, I have no doubt that if they play to their potential, Spar Girona will finish in second place in Group C behind reigning champions and runaway favorites UMMC Ekaterinburg. Girona should see off TTT Riga and while Famila Schio will be a bit of a coin toss perhaps, this will be the game that should determine their success this season. I saw enough against Sepsi to be convinced that their roster is strong enough and I like the way that they have so many options. Eric Suris is a good coach who is getting better and with experience all over the floor with the likes of Sonia Vasic, Laia Palau (did you see her amazing assist on the highlights?) and Frida Eldebrink, it's nice to see younger players like Julia Reisingerova growing in influence. Having navigated this hurdle, if I was a fan of Girona, I would be excited for the season ahead. Plus they have those great battles with Perfumerias Avenida and Valencia domestically to deal with too!

Noisy and squeaking basketball shoes is the new bird song 

During the basketball drought of the summer when we were locked down due to COVID-19, I dealt with not having access to my favorite thing in the world by noticing new things in life. The main one was the sounds of birds singing, something that I had not noticed sufficiently (or appreciated) in the past. That was the soundtrack to my spring/summer. Then, when this first EuroLeague Women Qualifier came onto my screen, I momentarily closed my eyes in sheer relief and excitement. It was that point that I noticed without fans inside (obviously bad) the noise of squeaking basketball shoes on the court was beautifully amplified. It was also at that point a huge smile came across my face when I realized that this was hopefully going to be my bird song replacement for the autumn/winter. 

FIBA

As a women's basketball specialist for FIBA and FIBA Europe, Paul Nilsen eats, sleeps and breathes women’s hoops and is incredibly passionate about promoting the women’s game - especially at youth level. In Women’s Basketball Worldwide, Paul scours the globe for the very latest from his beloved women’s basketball family.

Paul Nilsen

Paul Nilsen

As a women's basketball specialist for FIBA and FIBA Europe, Paul Nilsen eats, sleeps and breathes women’s hoops and is incredibly passionate about promoting the women’s game - especially at youth level. In Women’s Basketball Worldwide, Paul scours the globe for the very latest from his beloved women’s basketball family.