Two-time defending EuroLeague Women champion Fenerbahçe Opet’s roster may look different than it did last season, but the Turkish powerhouse picked up where it left off anyway, opening the 2024-25 season with an impressive group play win over Villeneuve-d’Ascq LM.
New to Fenerbahçe this season is a host of international talent including French forward Gabby Williams, Belgian guard Julie Allemand and Americans Ariel Atkins and Tina Charles. Factor in EuroLeague Women legend Emma Meesseman and you get a versatile lineup with skill, athleticism and experience, and it’s no wonder why they were ranked No. 1 overall by FIBA.com in its preseason power rankings.
Early returns for Fenerbahçe have been good, with Charles and Meesseman combining to score 38 points on 17-for-23 shooting from the field. Also of note during Week 1 of group play were 92-point performances put up by Žabiny Brno and Beretta Famila Schio, the former of which hit a whopping 16 3-point shots as a team.
Can Brno repeat that shooting performance against a tough ÇBK Mersin squad that projects to be in the hunt for a EuroLeague Women championship? Will ZVVZ USK Praha bounce back from a disappointing opening-week loss despite missing two of its biggest stars? And can Casademot Zaragoza give Fenerbahçe…
