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Good news, WNBA fans! EuroLeague Women is back from its winter hiatus, and Angel McCoughtry has returned with it.
McCoughtry, who missed the entirety of the 2019 WNBA season while rehabbing a knee injury, has signed with Dynamo Kursk, according to the team. McCoughtry played for Kursk previously in 2017-18, helping lead the team to a third-place finish. Now, she replaces Marta Xargay (who is transferring to Girona) on Kursk’s roster.
Meanwhile, Candice Dupree will return to Sopron Basket. Dupree was an integral part of Sopron’s success last season when the team reached EuroLeague Women’s Final Four, so we’ll see if her presence can get the Hungarian club back on track.
As always, you’ll be able to catch these players — along with plenty of their WNBA compatriots — in action for free on FIBA’s YouTube channel. While McCoughtry’s return to the court will be must-see basketball, there will be plenty more to watch for in EuroLeague Women Week 9.
Wednesday, January 8
Nadezhda (5-3) vs. UMMC Ekaterinburg (7-1)
When: 5:00 a.m. ET
Where: Orenburzhje Sport Hall, Orenburg
How to watch: FIBA YouTube live stream
Matchup details: New year, same dominant Ekaterinburg. The Russian club is scoring a blistering 89.5 points per game, a mark it (just barely) failed to reach in its Week 2 match against Nadezhda. There’s little reason to think Ekaterinburg won’t keep rolling in this Russian rivalry.
Fenerbahçe Öznur Kablo (6-2) vs. Sopron Basket (3-5)
When: 9:30 a.m. ET
Where: Metro Energy Sports Hall, Istanbul
How to watch: FIBA YouTube live stream
Matchup details: Dupree’s addition couldn’t have come any sooner for Sopron, which is still one of the lowest-scoring teams in EuroLeague Women and will be facing a Fenerbahçe squad that is still at the top of Group B. Sopron did prevail over Fenerbahçe in Week 2, so we’ll see if it can repeat an upset here.
TTT Riga (1-7) vs. Castors Braine (3-5)
When: 10:00 a.m. ET
Where: Olympic Sports Centre, Riga
How to watch: FIBA YouTube live stream
Matchup details: Amazingly, Riga has still not won a game outside of its incredible upset of Ekaterinburg earlier in the season. Week 2’s match between Riga and Castors Braine was a close one, and that was before Marina Mabrey was in action, so perhaps Riga will be able to start the new year off right. Celeste Trahan-Davis currently leads Castors Braine in both scoring (14.7) and rebounding (11).
ZVVZ USK Praha (7-1) vs. Bourges Basket (5-3)
When: 10:00 a.m. ET
Where: Královka Arena, Prague
How to watch: FIBA YouTube live stream
Matchup details: Bourges was run out of the gym by ZVVZ USK Praha in Week 2, but it didn’t have Natalie Achonwa, who has helped the team to wins in its last two games. Even so, Praha will be heavily favored in this one; it has won five straight games and Alyssa Thomas (19.9 points, 12.4 rebounds, 3.9 assists, 3.9 steals) has been arguably the best player in the competition thus far.
Reyer Venezia (2-6) vs. Gelecek Koleji Çukurova (2-6)
When: 11:30 a.m. ET
Where: Palasport Taliercio, Venice
How to watch: FIBA YouTube live stream
Matchup details: The records of these two teams might not seem very impressive, but they put on a good show in a close, high-scoring Week 2 game. That was before Çukurova signed Morgan Tuck and Alex Bentley (while losing Nia Coffey), which hasn’t exactly worked out for the club thus far (four straight losses).
BLMA (5-3) vs. Arka Gdynia (3-5)
When: 12:00 p.m. ET
Where: Palais des sports de Lattes, Lattes
How to watch: FIBA YouTube live stream
Matchup details: BLMA remains hot on the heels of Fenerbahçe in Group B, and the French club will need to prevail over Arka Gdynia once again to keep pace. There are few players in EuroLeague Women playing better than Stephanie Mavunga is for BLMA; she currently ranks third in the competition in scoring (18.1) and second in rebounding (11.4).
Familia Schio (5-3) vs. Dynamo Kursk (4-4)
When: 12:30 p.m. ET
Where: Pala Campagnola, Schio
How to watch: FIBA YouTube live stream
Matchup details: If you can watch only one game on Wednesday, make it this one. Kursk’s 4-4 record means basically nothing, as the team has added McCoughtry, Glory Johnson and Jessica Breland in recent weeks. Diamond DeShields and Schio are allowing a league-low 56.9 points per game; can they hold this loaded Kursk team down?
Thursday, January 9
Spar CityLift Girona (3-5) vs. LDLC ASVEL Féminin (3-5)
When: 11:15 a.m. ET
Where: Pavelló Fontajau, Girona
How to watch: FIBA YouTube live stream
Matchup details: In Thursday’s lone game, Girona will look to avenge a 22-point Week 2 loss to LDLC ASVEL Féminin. Perhaps Xargay will be able to (both literally and figuratively) assist Brittney Sykes as Girona tries to solve Marine Johannès, who scored 20 points in the last meeting between the two teams.