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Group G
Dynamo Moscow has compiled a very impressive roster, including several members of the Russian National Team – Nadezhda Grishaeva, Ilona Korstin and former players Svetlana Abrosimova and Tatiana Vidmer. Laura Harper will start the EuroCup as the team’s only foreigner, but Kristi Toliver and Crystal Langhorne shouldn’t be far from also joining the team and likely taking Harper’s spot on the ECW roster. On the wings Montenegrin center Snezana Aleksic should be a beneficial player.
Basket Landes has been a positive surprise this season in France with how much two European U18 championship winning stars Valeriane Ayayi and Olivia Epoupa get to play. And it’s not like the team lacks players to whom give the minutes. Karmen Guzman and Kamila Stepanova were influential for MBK Ruzomberok last season, lighting up this Landes team. Spanish forward Tamara Abalde, who is slowly nearing the Spanish NT, will help Stepanova and American center Jennifer Humphrey inside. Oh, and let’s not forget French silver medal Olympian Marion Laborde.
Before applying for EuroCup Women, VS Praha had a very good season in Czech Republic last season. This year, however, so far has been anything but good. It’s very likely VS Praha will have to do without Belgian forward Evelien Callens for the whole regular season part of ECW. But Callens isn’t the only foreigners on the team. Marshae Dotson and Aliaksandra Tarasava are healthy and will be factors as will be the Czech veteran Petra Reisingerova. Point guard Lenka Bartakova jumped from the Czech U20 team in 2011, straight in to the Czech Olympic squad in 2012. Quite an accomplishment for a 21 year old. Certainly a player to keep an eye on.
Partizan Galenika will be a tough team to play at their home. Last season they defeated Ruzomberok and Helios at home, while losing only to Basket Landes in the final two minutes of the game. Last season’s top two scorers Dajana Butulja and Milica Dabovic are back. And they will be accompanied by American forward Brooke Queenan. 22 year old Kristina Baltic who got her first taste of basketball with Serbian NT this summer will be one of the few options down low for Partizan.
Group H
Group H might be the toughest one in the competition.
Homend Antakya will be relying upon five foreigners headlined by Czech forward Jana Vesela who was crowned EuroLeague Women champion with Ros Casares last season. Other ones are Shekinna Stricklen, second overall pick in this year’s WNBA draft, and Jolene Anderson, who enjoys shooting, a lot. Dubravka Dacic and Lucie Bouthors will round out the Antakya foreigner roster for the upcoming season.
2011 EuroCup Women champs, Elizur Ramla have Shay Doron and Katia Levitsky return while Israeli National Michal Epstein has joined the team. Outside of Doron they might not have much of an impact in EuroCup Women. Ramla has 6 foreigners on their roster – Americans Natasha Lacy and Ashley Walker, Americans with European passports Noelle Quinn and Amanda Jackson and European posts Ana Turcinovic and Izabela Piekarska.
Mainly due to Karmen Guzman averaging 20 points per game, Ruzomberok was one of the biggest surprise packages last season. Guzman and Kamila Stepanova left the team during offseason. Joined the team has guard Sequoia Holmes and center Nadia Parker. They will be helped by local players like Veronika Cernakova, Katarina Tetemondova and Eva Kmetova and returning Swede Kadidja Andersson.
Kibirkstis-VICI-IKI has loaded up on most of the top Lithuanian players who were playing on the now defunct VICI-Aistes in EuroLeague Women. Vita Kuktiene, Rima Valentiene, Mante Kvederaviciute and Lina Pikciute have come over from Kaunas, joining Lithuanian NT members – 205 cm tall Kristina Alminaite, Greta Sniokaite and Kristina Vengryte. as well as two Americans Sakellie Daniels and Celeste Trahan.
