Annually, the SuperCup serves as opening event of the European basketball calendar, with the reigning EuroLeague and EuroCup champions meeting in a single game. This year pitted Fenerbaçe, first time EuroLeague champs, against LDLC ASVEL Féminin, winners of the EuroCup.
Fenerbahçe took care of business, claiming the 109-52 victory. Here’s why the EuroLeague champs dominated:
Why Fenerbahçe was favored
Fenerbahçe entered the game as favorites for a number of reasons. For one, they were the best team in Europe the previous season, while ASVEL won EuroCup Women, the competition reserved for top European teams that did not make the EuroLeague.
The second reason was the absences on the roster of the French champions. The two most notable players missing were Marine Johannès and Julie Allemand. Johannès, the 2023 FIBA EuroCup Women Most Valuable Player, is still with the New York Liberty, hoping to bring that elusive first WNBA Championship to NYC. Allemand, former Chicago Sky guard and Belgian national team star, is out with an injury.
However, two things could have work in ASVEL’s favor. The played at home in Lyon, where that sixth man in the stands could make a difference. Furthermore, Fenerbahçe is a…
