Collier lights it up as Fenerbahce fly past Villeneuve to claim consecutive titles

MERSIN (Türkiye) - Fenerbahce Alagoz Holding defended their EuroLeague Women crown after rolling over first-time Finalists Villeneuve d'Ascq LM 106-73 with a devastating team show led by Napheesa Collier.

It was party time on the final buzzer in Mersin, with thousands of Fenerbahce fans in attendance to joyously watch their side retain the title they won for the first time last year.

Turning Point: The game was tied up at 40-40 midway through the second period, with both teams meeting each other punch for punch offensively. However, Fenerbahce made their move and found some extra gas to finish off the half with a 18-5 run and that proved a springboard for victory.

Game Heroes: There were many and not least Collier who dropped the second highest tally ever in a Final and just two points short of Breanna Stewart's record-breaking effort last year. Collier finished with 33, also pulling down 8 rebounds. Meanwhile Emma Meesseman set the tone with 18 first-half points and finished with 22 from a spectacular 10 of 12 shooting effort.  Yvonne Anderson passed the rock a superb 13 times, while Kayla McBride was super again, finishing with 17 points, 7 boards and 7 assists. 

Stats Don't Lie: The points in the paint told the story with Fenerbahce outscoring Villeneuve by a truly massive 50-24.

The Bottom Line: Fenerbahce proved too good and too deep, with their rotations and added quality wearing down their opponents. This will feel super sweet for Coach Valerie Garnier who did a great job to land her first title. While Fenerbahce struggled to impose themselves in the first 15 minutes, that added gear saw them ease clear and step their way to this historic second triumph.

Villeneuve deserve tremendous credit for their truly fairytale season. They were beaten by the better team and gave their all. It took a champion team like Fenerbahce to expose their limitations, but what an incredible ride they have had to this runners-up place and another French playcaller in Rachid Meziane has shown just how much he deserves his Coach of the Year honor.

They said: "We are happy and we forgot to come to the press conference because we were too busy enjoying it. I am so proud of my players and my staff. I am very haoppy for Fenerbahce and thankful for them to have given me this opportunity." - Valerie Garnier (Fenerbahce Alagoz Holding)

"We missed some aggressivity in our defense. We worked hard playing against the best team in Europe. But this is good for us to grow and to get better. I am proud for what we did but we have to try to now stay at this level." - Maxuella Lisowa Mbaka (Villeneuve d'Ascq LM)

FIBA