Zandalasini career record, new coach for Avenida and Howard to Kursk headline talking points

MUNICH (EuroLeague Women) – There was a EuroLeague Women career high for Cecilia Zandalasini during Week 10, while Perfumerias Avenida  opted to change coach and Kursk added a new face.

Here are the main talking points – according to our women's specialist Paul Nilsen, aka @Basketmedia365

Zandalasini sets high tide mark and delivers in clutch

 
It was a momentous week for Italian ace Cecilia Zandalsini as she not only recorded her highest ever score in the competition wearing a Fenerbahce vest, but also racked up her biggest ever tally in EuroLeague Women. It was fantastic to see her back doing what she does best, shooting a team to the win and making big plays down the stretch. Her 24 points handed her team victory in a thriller at Sopron and having questioned how Fenerbahce have utilized her so far, maybe the memo has been read and understood. They have lots of game winners and are doing brilliantly at 7-3 after a slow start this season, but there is always something special seeing Zandalasini as the difference-maker. Maybe it is the added dimension of the beautiful passion that we don't see from a lot of other players.

Lopez fired by Perfumerias Avenida

Lino Lopez paid the price for Avenida being comprehensively dismantled by TTT Riga at Pabellon Wurzburg as the EuroLeague Women rookie was fired by the club hierarchy. It felt slightly harsh and not least because it is his first campaign in the tournament and with Jewell Loyd waiting in the wings to give a much needed scoring boost, things could well pick up quickly. Of course the cold reality is that having a 4-6 record is one thing. But, the tradition of Avenida is to at least please the locals and the 'Blue Tide' have had to watch their team lose four games in a row on home soil. That was the killer blow right there. It will be interesting to see his replacement, since if the club are looking outside of Spain, there are not a lot of top level and proven EuroLeague Women playcallers available from what I can see.

Dynamo Kursk happy to add Howard

 
Dynamo Kursk have bolstered their frontcourt with the addition of WNBA center, Natasha Howard. The 2018 WNBA champion will link up with her Seattle Storm teammate, Breanna Stewart. She arrives via a stint in China where she averaged 35 points and 12 rebounds per game!

Double joy for TTT and Zibarts

What a season it has been for TTT Riga on their belated return to the competition. They are now  6-4, an absolute handful for any opponent and whisper it quietly - Final Four material? The biggest plus is that they are showing that the team comes before any star players - a blueprint some clubs have failed to recognize in the past. Their work ethic is outstanding and props once again to Coach Martins Zibarts. And by the way, he not only masterminded an eye-catching win in Spain, but surely also posted the EuroLeague Women 'Play of the Week'.

Under the radar

- ESBVA-LM  winning at Schio was arguably one of the best results of the season by any club. Yes, the Italians have a poor overall record, but maybe even they had (wrongly) assumed like many of us that they were a lock for a third win in a row. But it was a sensational team effort by ESBVA-LM who halted their opponents' momentum in its tracks as five players posted double-digit scores. Great job Coach Fred Dusart and his players!

- Stella Kaltsidou became only the second player this season to sink 10 free throws in a game when she managed the feat for CCC Polkowice in their comeback win at Castors Braine. 

FIBA