VALENCIA (Spain) - Excitement is building ahead of the SuperCup Women return for the first time since 2019 as EuroCup Women title holders Valencia BC get ready to host reigning EuroLeague Women champions UMMC Ekaterinburg.

The two powerhouses will square off at 20:30 CET on Friday, October 22 at the Pabellon Municipal Fuente de San Luis, as UMMC bid to become SuperCup Women winners for the fifth time, with their opponents from Spain debuting in the flagship game.

Having claimed their first title in 2013 and also prevailed in 2016, 2018 and 2019, UMMC have dominated the competition and the general European basketball landscape in recent years, but the list of past winners of SuperCup Women also includes the likes of Sparta&K M.R. Vidnoje (2009), Perfumerias Avenida Salamanca (2010), ZVVZ USK Praha (2016) and Dynamo Kursk (2017).

For UMMC winger Alba Torrens, the game gives her the chance to lay a ghost to rest.  The last time she was inside the arena was when she was sat in frustration watching co-hosts Spain playing at the FIBA Women's EuroBasket 2021, having been ruled out on health grounds.

"FOR US, THIS IS A BIG CHALLENGE THAT WE HAVE IN FRONT OF US."

"Personally, I am excited to be back in Valencia for this game," smiled Torrens.

"I believe this will be a great basketball game to watch and enjoy. Valencia is a really good team as they have players with a lot of talent and who are also great competitors.

"For us, this is a big challenge that we have in front of us. We know we will need to put our best basketball on the court if we want to have a chance of getting the win," she insisted.

Meanwhile, Valencia guard Queralt Casas who was the EuroCup Women Final Four MVP last season, is also looking forward to the contest.

Not least the test that it will provide for Valencia and especially after falling short in the Qualifiers when chasing a maiden EuroLeague Women Regular Season spot. Now the team has a chance to measure up against a heavyweight opponent.  

She confirmed: "Of course this is going to be a tough game for us because UMMC Ekaterinburg are the best team and with the best players in the world.

"Yet because of that fact, I think it will also be a great night for us as players and coaches, plus also for the fans. We will not forget how hard we need to fight and this has to be a game that everybody can enjoy at La Fontenta."

Key matchup: Maria Vadeeva seems to be the in-form player for UMMC right now and is doing some of her best work to date in a UMMC vest. The Russian frontcourt star has been highly efficient and also a real power on the defensive end with 7 blocks in her first two EuroLeague Women games. It will be interesting whether Marie Guelich or Laura Gil will be given the task from a Valencia perspective of matching up and slowing her down. 

X-factor: It's surprising that as good as UMMC always are, they have not shot the ball brilliantly this season and especially during those first two EuroLeague Women games. As long as they don't turn up the volume on making more baskets in this SuperCup Women and retain the current mediocre percentages, Valencia might fancy their chances of an upset.

FIBA