There were various storylines entering the scheduled Oct. 2 SuperCup Women title game between Beşiktaş and Fenerbahçe, the EuroCup and the EuroLeague winners, in both team’s hometown of Istanbul, Turkey. These included:
- How will Nika Mühl perform in her first game for Beşiktaş following her limited WNBA rookie experience with the Seattle Storm?
- Will her Storm teammate, Fenerbahçe’s Gabby Williams, back on European soil, revive her unbelievable Olympic performance for her new team?
- Despite their roster being far from complete, will Fenerbahçe still dominate against the local rivals?
- Will Besiktas get their first win of the season after three-straight opening losses?
After an hour-long wait it was decided that the game was to be replayed the next day at 3 p.m. local time in an empty arena. The unbelievable derby atmosphere, with constant chants and songs, with fans clapping their hands and banging the drums, was no longer a factor, which left us stripped of an integral element of top Istanbul teams playing against one another. For those unfamiliar with the term, the derby is a rivalry game between two local teams. There’s history, animosity and passion involved. Sometimes too much passion, as evidenced by the fans’ actions during the scheduled contest. The…
