Preview: EuroCup Women quarterfinals continue on Wednesday with WNBA players leading the way

The second leg of the EuroCup Women quarterfinals will be played on Wednesday, Mar. 13, and Thursday, Mar. 14. There are four semifinals berths on the line for the continental tournament. Here is where is everyone stands:

Why are there two games in EuroCup Women’s quarterfinals instead of a best-of-three series, like in the EuroLeague Women quarterfinals?

FIBA Europe determined this will be a “pair” quarterfinals before this year’s competition.

What if the loser of the first leg wins the second leg?

The winner of the round is determined by aggregate score, just like the Round of 8. Therefore, if the losing team of the first leg wins the second leg, then the aggregate score (or combined score) of both games has to be higher than the opponent’s. If the second leg ends in a tie, there will be five-minute overtime periods (as many times as needed) until a tie is broken.

How can I watch?

All games can be streamed for free on FIBA’s YouTube channel.

Which teams are playing?

Here are the matchups, game times, notable WNBA players (or players with WNBA experience) and what to expect:

BLMA (France) vs. Carolo Basket (France)

• When — Wednesday, Mar. 13, at 3 p.m. ET.
• Game 1 Result — BLMA won 91-75 on Mar. 6
• Notable WNBA players — For BLMA, Samantha Whitcomb (Storm) and Endy Miyem (Lynx) are familiar faces. For Carolo Basket, Kaleena Mosqueda-Lewis (Storm) is the lone active WNBA player but Haley Peters, who spent time with the San Antonio Stars and the Mystics, just signed a training camp contract with the Atlanta Dream.
• Notes — In the first leg, BLMA didn’t need Whitcomb or Miyem to do too much. Meanwhile, Carolo Basket only played six players and Peters scored 28 points on 12-of-15 shooting, only to see her team get blown out anyway. Though Carolo Basket started in the EuroLeague Women group stage, they will have to blow out BLMA to advance to the semifinals given how last week’s match went.

Cukurova Basketbol (Turkey) vs. Familia Schio (Italy)

• When — Thursday, Mar. 14, at 11 a.m. ET.
• Game 1 Result — Cukurova won 79-75 on Mar. 7
• Notable WNBA players — Cukurova has three WNBA players on its roster — Kelsey Bone (Aces), Chelsea Gray (Sparks), Astou Ndour (Sky) — along with Kim Mestdagh (Mystics) who is on a training camp contract. Familia Schio has Jantel Lavender (Sparks) and Allie Quigley (Sky), but Jacki Gemelos and Sandrine Gruda have also played games in the WNBA.
• Notes — Cukurova edged out Familia Schio in the first leg with Alina Iagupova scoring 20 points, including a three-pointer with just four seconds left. They were still the underdogs in this game, however, because Familia Schio was in control the vast majority of the game and led by 13 at one point. So, this game can truly go either way.

Spar Citylift Girona (Spain) vs. Lyon ASVEL Feminin (France)

• When — Thursday, Mar. 14, at 3 p.m. ET.
• Game 1 Result — Girona won 80-57 on Mar. 7
• Notable WNBA players — Girona doesn’t have any active WNBA players, but Keisha Hampton spent time with the Lynx and Sky. Shay Murphy last played for the then-San Antonio Stars. Lyon has Alysha Clark (Storm), while Clarissa Dos Santos played two seasons for the Sky (2015, 2016).
• Notes — Girona threw the first punch early in the first leg and never looked back. In fact, they never trailed in the game, as Nadia Colhado and Gabrielle Williams scored 17 points each for Girona to lead the team to the big win. Lyon was without Clark due to a knee injury and could use her return for this match. Ingrid Tanqueray scored 15 points for Lyon in the loss.

Perfumerias Avenida (Spain) vs. Nadezhda (Russia)

• When — Thursday, Mar. 14, at 3:30 p.m. ET.
• Game 1 Result — Nadezhda won 58-50 on Mar. 7
• Notable WNBA players — Perfumerias has Jewell Loyd (Storm) on their roster while Nadezhda has Brionna Jones (Sun) and Erica Wheeler (Fever).
• Notes — After the first leg, it’s still anyone’s ball game considering the low score. Jones scored 12 points for Nadezhda, while Loyd had an off night for the Perfumerias, scoring 8 points on just of 2-of-12 shooting. If Loyd, a midseason transfer from Turkish club Botaspor, can score closer to her EuroCup Women season average of 16.1 points per game, Perfumerias could win this round easily.