EuroLeague Women

FIBA EuroLeague Women
Organising bodyFIBA Europe
First season1958
RegionEurope
Number of teams16 (group stage)
Level on pyramidTop women's league in Europe
Related competitionsEuroCup Women
Current champions ZVVZ USK Praha
(2nd title)
Most championships Daugava Riga
(18 titles)
WebsiteFIBA.basketball/euroleaguewomen
2024–25 EuroLeague Women

The EuroLeague Women (officially known as the FIBA EuroLeague Women) is the pre-eminent basketball league in Europe for women's basketball clubs.

Unlike the EuroLeague Men, the competition is entirely organized by FIBA Europe.

History

EuroLeague Women is the main women's club basketball competition in Europe.

First established by FIBA in September 1958, the inaugural European women's club competition consisted of 10 teams and came about following the success of an equivalent tournament for men's clubs earlier in the same year. The men's tournament consisted of 46 games, with over 100,000 spectators turning out to watch.

At the initial tournament Slavia Sofia of Bulgaria were crowned champions, beating Soviet Dynamo Moscow 64–40 at home and then 44–34 on the Muscovites court. The two-game home-and-away format for the final remained until 1976, before changing to a single-game format the following year.

During its formative years, the tournament was dominated by Daugava Riga from Latvia (then Soviet Union) who appeared in 16 finals between 1960 and 1977, winning all 16 of them. The Latvian club maintains two records that are difficult to see being bettered, with 18 overall titles, as well as the record for winning 12 consecutive championships.

In the nineties, the competition underwent two key changes. The first was the introduction of the Final Four in 1992; and the second was the rebranding of the competition in 1996, when it went from being known as European Cup for Women's Champion Clubs to what it is known as today: EuroLeague Women.

The Final Four format was given its farewell in Ekaterinburg in 2011, when Halcón Avenida defeated Spartak Moscow Region 68–59; before the 2011/2012 season heralded in a new direction for EuroLeague Women with the Final Four replaced by a Final Eight tournament.

Istanbul were granted the honour of hosting the first Final Eight tournament where Spanish club Ros Casares Valencia prevailed victorious, defeating Rivas Ecópolis 65–52 in the final. In its second year, the EuroLeague Women Final Eight moved to Ekaterinburg, where tournament hosts UMMC Ekaterinburg prevailed 82–56 over Fenerbahçe in the final.


In February 2022, the Russian teams and officials were expelled from the tournament by FIBA for the playoffs due to the country's invasion of Ukraine.[1] EuroLeague Women suspended Russian clubs UMMC Ekaterinburg, Dynamo Kursk, and MBA Moscow.[2]

Names of the competition

  • FIBA Women's European Champions Cup: (1958–1996)
  • EuroLeague Women: (1996–present)

Format

2004–2011

The 24 clubs were divided into four groups of six teams, each with home and away games.

The four best-placed clubs in each group qualified for the eighth-final play-offs.

The Eighth-finals were established according to the standings (games won, games lost, goal-average) of each team in the preliminary round. This round was played in a home and away game.

The winners of the eighth-final round qualified for the quarter-final round.

The winners of the quarter-final round qualified for the Final Four, organized by one of the qualified clubs. The semi-finals were played on a Friday and the finals on a Sunday.

2011–2014

The teams were split in three groups, which played each other home and away.

The best team qualified directly to the Final Eight, whereas the next best 14 teams advanced to a play-off round. The Final Eight was played over two groups in a single venue, with the best teams advancing to the Final Four.

2014–present

The teams are divided into two groups, each with home and away games. The top four teams from each group advance to the quarter-finals, played over three games, and the winners advance to the Final Four.

For the 2020–21 season, teams were divided into four groups of four teams. The two-group format returned for the 2021–22 season.

Results

  1. 1958-1996: FIBA Women's European Champions Cup
  2. 1997-Ongoing: EuroLeague Women
# Year Final Third and fourth place
Champion Score Runners-up
Have not a third place match / Semifinal losers
1 1958–59
Details

Slavia Sofia
97–84
63–40 / 34–44

Dynamo Moscow

Spartak Sokolovo

Crvena zvezda
2 1959–60
Details

Daugava Rīga
111–71
62–28 / 49–43

Slavia Sofia

Slovan Orbis Prague

Crvena zvezda
3 1960–61
Details

Daugava Rīga
148–114
76–77 / 72–37

Slovan Orbis Prague

USK Tartu

Academic
4 1961–62
Details

Daugava Rīga
103–82
55–38 / 48–44

SKA Leningrad

Slovan Orbis Prague

Radnički Belgrade
5 1962–63
Details

Slavia Sofia
112–106
52–57 / 60–49

Slovan Orbis Prague

Daugava Rīga

MTK
6 1963–64
Details

Daugava Rīga
103–101
63–58 / 40–43

Spartak Sokolovo

Slavia Sofia

Crvena zvezda
7 1964–65
Details

Daugava Rīga
101–93
49–31 / 52–62

Slavia Sofia

Wisła Kraków

Slovan Orbis Prague
8 1965–66
Details

Daugava Rīga
135–95
62–39 / 73–56

Slovan Orbis Prague

Wisła Kraków

Slavia Sofia
9 1966–67
Details

Daugava Rīga
111–93
56–41 / 55–52

Sparta Prague

Academic

Wisła Kraków
10 1967–68
Details

Daugava Rīga
134–92
76–45 / 58–47

Sparta Prague

Łódź

Recoaro Vicenza
11 1968–69
Details

Daugava Rīga
144–105
62–48 / 82–57

Chemie Halle

Politehnica București

Academic
12 1969–70
Details

Daugava Rīga
120–87
61–45 / 59–42

Wisła Kraków

Academic

Sparta Prague
13 1970–71
Details

Daugava Rīga
134–115
72–59 / 62–56

Clermont

Academic

Wisła Kraków
14 1971–72
Details

Daugava Rīga
166–118
80–59 / 86–59

Sparta Prague

Geas

Clermont
15 1972–73
Details

Daugava Rīga
147–104
64–44 / 83–60

Clermont

Sparta Prague

Geas
16 1973–74
Details

Daugava Rīga
164–120
96–67 / 69–53

Clermont

Łódź

Politehnica București
17 1974–75
Details

Daugava Rīga
159–115
87–59 / 72–56

Sparta Prague

Geas

Clermont
18 1975–76
Details

Sparta Prague
132–115
55–58 / 77–57

Clermont

Geas

Academic
19 1976–77
Details

Daugava Rīga
76–53
Clermont

Geas

Sparta Prague
20 1977–78
Details

Sesto Geas
74–66
Sparta Prague

Crvena zvezda

Minyor Pernik
21 1978–79
Details

Crvena zvezda
97–62
BSE

Minyor Pernik

Sesto Geas
22 1979–80
Details

FIAT
75–66
Minyor Pernik

BOB Oud-Beijerland

Crvena zvezda
23 1980–81
Details

Daugava Rīga
83–65
Crvena zvezda

Levski-Spartak

Accorsi FIAT
24 1981–82
Details

Daugava Rīga
78–56
Minyor Pernik

Pagnossin Treviso

BSE
25 1982–83
Details

Zolu Vicenza
76–67
Agon 08 Düsseldorf

Monting

Daugava Rīga
26 1983–84
Details

Levski Sofia
82–77
Zolu Vicenza

VŠ Praha

Tungsram
27 1984–85
Details

Fiorella Vicenza
63–55
Daugava Rīga

Agon 08 Düsseldorf

Levski-Spartak
28 1985–86
Details

Primigi Vicenza
71–57
Agon 08 Düsseldorf

CSKA Moscow

Levski-Spartak
29 1986–87
Details

Primigi Vicenza
86–73
Dynamo Novosibirsk

Agon 08 Düsseldorf

Levski-Spartak
Round format
30 1987–88
Details

Primigi Vicenza
70–64
Dynamo Novosibirsk

Jedinstvo Tuzla

Agon 08 Düsseldorf
31 1988–89
Details

Jedinstvo Tuzla
74–70
Primigi Vicenza

Dynamo Novosibirsk

Astarac Mirande
32 1989–90
Details

Enimont Libertas Trogylos
86–71
CSKA Moscow

Crvena zvezda

Astarac Mirande
33 1990–91
Details

Conad Cesena
84–66
Arvika

Sporting

Elektrosila
Have a third place match
34 1991–92
Details

Dorna Godella
66–56
Dynamo Kyiv

Pool Comense

Sporting
35 1992–93
Details

Dorna Godella
66–58
Pool Comense

Challes-les-Eaux

Ružomberok
36 1993–94
Details

Pool Comense
79–68
Dorna Godella

Olimpia Poznań

GoldZack Wuppertal
37 1994–95
Details

Pool Comense
64–57
Dorna Godella

CSKA Moscow

Valenciennes Olympic
38 1995–96
Details

Wuppertal
76–62
Pool Comense

Ružomberok

Bourges
39 1996–97
Details

Bourges
71–52
Wuppertal

Ružomberok

Pool Comense
40 1997–98
Details

Bourges
76–64
Pool Getafe

Pool Comense

Valenciennes Olympic
41 1998–99
Details

Ružomberok
63–48
Pool Comense

Galatasaray

Wuppertal
42 1999–00
Details

Ružomberok
67–64
Bourges

Gambrinus BVV Brno

Dynamo Moscow
43 2000–01
Details

Bourges
73–71
Valenciennes Olympic

Pécs

Gambrinus Brno
44 2001–02
Details

Valenciennes Olympic
78–72
Lotos VBW Clima Gdynia

Lavezzini Parma

Ružomberok
45 2002–03
Details

UMMC Ekaterinburg
82–80
Valenciennes Olympic

Gambrinus Brno

Bourges
46 2003–04
Details

Valenciennes Olympic
93–69
Lotos VBW Clima Gdynia

Pécs

Gambrinus Brno
47 2004–05
Details

VBM-SGAU Samara
69–66
Gambrinus Brno

Lietuvos Telekomas

Pécs
48 2005–06
Details

Gambrinus Brno
68–54
VBM-SGAU Samara

Valenciennes Olympic

Lietuvos Telekomas
49 2006–07
Details

Spartak Moscow Region
76–62
Ros Casares Valencia

CSKA Samara

Bourges
50 2007–08
Details

Spartak Moscow Region
75–60
Gambrinus Brno

UMMC Ekaterinburg

Bourges
51 2008–09
Details

Spartak Moscow Region
85–70
Avenida

UMMC Ekaterinburg

Euroleasing Sopron
52 2009–10
Details

Spartak Moscow Region
87–80
Ros Casares Valencia

UMMC Ekaterinburg

Can Pack Wisła Kraków
53 2010–11
Details

Halcón Avenida
68–59
Spartak Moscow Region

UMMC Ekaterinburg

Ros Casares Valencia
54 2011–12
Details

Ros Casares Valencia
65–52
Rivas Ecópolis

UMMC Ekaterinburg

Fenerbahçe
55 2012–13
Details

UMMC Ekaterinburg
82–56
Fenerbahçe

Bourges

Good Angels Košice
56 2013–14
Details

Galatasaray
69–58
Fenerbahçe

UMMC Ekaterinburg

Bourges
57 2014–15
Details

USK Praha
72–68
UMMC Ekaterinburg

Dynamo Kursk

Fenerbahçe
58 2015–16
Details

UMMC Ekaterinburg
72–69
Nadezhda Orenburg

Fenerbahçe

USK Praha
59 2016–17
Details

Dynamo Kursk
77–63
Fenerbahçe

UMMC Ekaterinburg

USK Praha
60 2017–18
Details

UMMC Ekaterinburg
72–53
Sopron Basket

Dynamo Kursk

Yakın Doğu Üniversitesi
61 2018–19
Details

UMMC Ekaterinburg
91–67
Dynamo Kursk

ZVVZ USK Praha

Sopron Basket
62 2019–20
Details
Curtailed and voided due to the COVID-19 pandemic.
63 2020–21
Details

UMMC Ekaterinburg
78–68
Perfumerías Avenida

Fenerbahçe

Sopron Basket
64 2021–22
Details

Sopron Basket
60–55
Fenerbahçe

Perfumerías Avenida

ZVVZ USK Praha
65 2022–23
Details

Fenerbahçe
99–60
ÇBK Mersin Yenişehir Bld.

Beretta Famila Schio

ZVVZ USK Praha
66 2023–24
Details

Fenerbahçe
106–73
ESBVA-LM

ZVVZ USK Praha

ÇBK Mersin Yenişehir Bld.
67 2024–25
Details

ZVVZ USK Praha
66–53
ÇBK Mersin

Fenerbahçe

Valencia

Statistics

Medals by country

RankNationGoldSilverBronzeTotal
1 Soviet Union186529
2 Russia1251128
3 Italy1151329
4 France59519
5 Spain48113
6 Turkey36413
7 Bulgaria341421
8 Czech Republic3249
9 Yugoslavia21912
10 Slovakia2024
11 Czechoslovakia19818
12 Germany1326
13 Hungary1258
14 Poland03710
15 CIS0101
 East Germany0101
 Sweden0101
18 Romania0022
19 Greece0011
 Lithuania0011
 Netherlands0011
Totals (21 entries)666695227
  • Semifinal losers from 1958 to 1987 considered as bronze.

Titles by club

Rank Club Winners Runners-up
1 Daugava Rīga 18 1
2 UMMC Ekaterinburg 6 1
3 Vicenza 5 2
4 Spartak Moscow Region 4 1
5 CJM Bourges Basket 3 1
6 Fenerbahçe 2 4
7 CB Godella-Pool Getafe 2 3
= Pool Comense 1872 2 3
9 Valenciennes Olympic 2 2
= Slavia Sofia 2 2
11 Ružomberok 2 0
= USK Praha 2 0
13 Sparta Prague 1 6
14 Brno 1 2
= Avenida 1 2
= Ros Casares Valencia 1 2
17 Wuppertal Wings 1 1
= Crvena zvezda 1 1
= VBM-SGAU Samara 1 1
= Dynamo Kursk 1 1
= Sopron Basket 1 1
22 Levski Sofia 1 0
= FIAT 1 0
= Unicar Cesena 1 0
= GS Trogylos Basket Priolo 1 0
= Sesto San Giovanni 1 0
= Jedinstvo Tuzla 1 0
= Galatasaray 1 0

Stats leaders

Season Top scorer PPG Top rebounder RPG Top assistant APG
1991–92 Razija Mujanović 27.3 Razija Mujanović 9.1 Corinne Benintendi 2.7
1992–93 Yelena Khudashova 24.8 Katrina Johnson 11.6 Corinne Benintendi 5.1
1993–94 Razija Mujanović 20.4 Katrina Johnson 12.7 Corinne Benintendi 5.2
1994–95 Clarissa Davis 30.5 Yelena Baranova 9.9 Teresa Weatherspoon 6.0
1995–96 Clarissa Davis 25.9 Venus Lacy 12.7 Svetlana Antipova 6.6
1996–97 Yolanda Griffith 24.7 Yolanda Griffith 17.1 Michele Timms 5.7
1997–98 Jennifer Gillom 21.8 Maria Stepanova 12.4 Lyudmila Konovalova 5.9
1998–99 Sandy Brondello 19.5 Marlies Askamp 12.3 Ana Belén Álvaro 4.8
1999–00 Mila Nikolić 19.1 Margo Dydek 10.6 Aluma Goren 4.4
2000–01 Ann Wauters 20.9 Margo Dydek 10.7 Iveta Bieliková 5.7
2001–02 Albena Branzova 20.8 Yolanda Griffith 11.5 Ticha Penicheiro 5.3
2002–03 Ana Joković 21.1 Margo Dydek 10.4 Audrey Sauret-Gillespie 4.8
2003–04 Gordana Grubin 20.5 Maria Stepanova 12.2 Kristi Willoughby 5.9
2004–05 Katie Douglas 20.4 Michelle Snow 13.6 Dalma Iványi 6.9
2005–06 Katie Douglas 20.8 Rebekkah Brunson 11.3 Caroline Aubert 6.1
2006–07 Tina Thompson 21.1 DeLisha Milton-Jones 10.9 Caroline Aubert 6.0
2007–08 Lauren Jackson 23.6 Nicole Ohlde 9.5 Dalma Iványi 5.7
2008–09 Diana Taurasi 20.5 Laura Harper 12.0 Dalma Iványi 7.5
2009–10 Diana Taurasi 24.9 Candice Dupree 11.0 Anđa Jelavić 6.7
2010–11 Penny Taylor 19.2 Cheryl Ford 14.2 Dalma Iványi 5.4
2011–12 Diana Taurasi 20.9 Cheryl Ford 11.9 Sharnee Zoll-Norman 6.6
2012–13 Tina Charles 24.0 Tina Charles 12.5 Laia Palau 6.4
2013–14 Jantel Lavender 20.3 Luca Ivanković 11.1 Laia Palau 6.8
2014–15 Nneka Ogwumike 19.5 Candace Parker 11.0 Laia Palau 7.1
2015–16 Diana Taurasi 20.9 Crystal Langhorne 10.8 Laia Palau 7.1
2016–17 Yvonne Turner 18.8 Nneka Ogwumike 10.2 Laia Palau 7.8
2017–18 Kayla McBride 18.7 Jantel Lavender 8.6 Courtney Vandersloot 9.0
2018–19 Breanna Stewart 21.0 Brionna Jones 10.9 Amel Bouderra 6.9
2019–20 Alina Iagupova 21.3 Alyssa Thomas 11.4 Courtney Vandersloot 7.1
2020–21 Alina Iagupova 20.0 Clarissa Dos Santos 12.3 Courtney Vandersloot 7.6
2021–22 Kahleah Copper 21.4 Natasha Howard 11.0 Pelin Bilgiç 6.4
2022–23 Megan Gustafson 22.6 Stephanie Mavunga 12.5 Erica Wheeler 7.4
2023–24 Emma Meesseman 17.9 Elin Gustavsson 9.2 Morgan Green 6.7

See also

Men's competitions

Women's competitions

References

  1. ^ "FIBA statement on Russian teams and officials". FIBA.basketball. 1 March 2022.
  2. ^ "A glance at the reaction of sports to Russian invasion". Associated Press. 8 March 2022.