Fenerbahçe Dominates Valencia Basket in EuroLeague Women Matchday 1

After a stumble in Liga Endesa Matchday 1, Valencia Basket had been rolling. They defeated both Avenida and Estudiantes with ease, and faced Fenerbahçe, the reigning EuroLeague Women champions, to kick off the competition. Meanwhile, the Turkish side remains undefeated at 4-0 and faced their favorite victim, against whom they have never lost. Alongside these two teams, Flammes Carolo and Rapid București complete the group.

First Quarter: 12-27
For their continental competition debut, Javi Torralba started with: Alexis Peterson-Smalls, Helena Pueyo, Elizabeth Balogun, María Araújo and Kamila Borkowska. The Turkish side, coached by Ahmet Çaki, opted for: Julie Allemand, Leïla Lacan, Luisa Geiselsölder, Nell Angloma and Emma Meesseman. The first basket came from Araújo with a three-pointer, but the Turkish side quickly took the lead. Midway through the quarter, Fenerbahçe was ahead, coming out fast in transition and overshadowing Valencia's game: 9-13.

After a difficult start for the home team, they gradually recovered. Fenerbahçe stretched their lead again, regaining a +10 advantage with six points from Geiselsölder. Flórez and Takács-Kiss cut into the deficit, but the superiority of the Istanbul side didn't allow them to get closer; points from Juškaitė and Lauren Betts pushed them back to a ten-point deficit. The quarter ended with a crushing 12-27, and the crowd was quite upset by the lack of contact being allowed for the home team.

Second Quarter: 30-50
Both teams came out more energized, the pace increased and so did the missed shots. Fenerbahçe didn't lower their level, and when Valencia turned up the intensity, so did they. After 4 minutes, they still led 19-37, with tremendous rebounding superiority: the Turkish side had grabbed 8 rebounds to Valencia Basket's 4. Alicia Flórez lifted the arena with a three-pointer, complete with a stepback. At 24-37, Çaki called a timeout with 5:36 left in the half.

Quickly and without wasting time, Fenerbahçe ran off a 0-9 run in 3 minutes. Yvonne Anderson, Meesseman and Lacan stood out. Shortly after came halftime with a score of 30-50. Fenerbahçe clearly dominating and showing their credentials as champions. The best players on the court so far were Leïla Lacan and Emma Meesseman.

Third Quarter: 51-68
After the halftime break, everything remained the same. The home team lacked a bit of defensive intensity, and Fenerbahçe continued to take full advantage. With Jenkins entering the game, the team gained in personality, and the fans plugged back in. The American put on a physical and defensive masterclass that threw off the visitors. After some free throws from Marta Suárez, the third quarter ended with slightly better feelings: 51-68.

Fourth Quarter: 69-88
Although the gap was very large and Fenerbahçe was dominating the game comfortably, Virag Takács-Kiss put some fear into the Turkish side. Four consecutive points from the Hungarian cut Valencia's deficit to 14 points. Because of this, Ahmet Çaki called a timeout: 58-72. Fenerbahçe reacted with a 4-13 run, continuing the game's pattern. Whenever Valencia Basket pushed with good play and accuracy, Fenerbahçe countered without giving Valencia any margin. The game finally ended with a Turkish victory 69-88. Valencia Basket's next game will be against Ferrol at Roig Arena this Sunday at 12:15 p.m., where they must turn the page after the loss to Fenerbahçe.