Navigating 2020-21 EuroLeague, EuroCup seasons and WNBA rookie signings

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The teams that will participate in EuroLeague Women and EuroCup Women in 2020-21 have been confirmed, FIBA announced Monday.

EuroLeague and EuroCup are the top and second-best international competitions in Europe, respectively, and consist of games added onto a team’s regular domestic schedule as well as an end-of-season tournament. Sixteen teams will play in EuroLeague, of which 14 are currently guaranteed a place, and 32 will play in EuroCup, of which 29 are now guaranteed a place.

The following 14 teams are confirmed for EuroLeague Women play (asterisk denotes the team played in EuroLeague last season):

• UMMC Ekaterinburg (Russia)*

• Lyon ASVEL Féminin (France)*

• Fenerbahçe (Turkey)*

• Sopron Basket (Hungary)*

• Arka Gdynia (Poland)*

• CB Avenida (Spain)

• ZVVZ USK Praha (Czech Republic)*

• Famila Basket Schio (Italy)*

• TTT Riga (Latvia)*

• Dynamo Kursk (Russia)*

• Tango Bourges Basket (France)*

• Galatasaray (Turkey)

• BC Nadezhda (Russia)*

• Basket Landes (France)

The four teams that will participate in a qualifying playoff for the final two spots are İzmit Belediyespor (Turkey), Aluinvent DVTK Miskolc (Hungary), Uni Girona CB (Spain)* and ACS Sepsi SIC (Romania). Both losing teams will join EuroCup.

BLMA, which had made the quarterfinals when EuroLeague play was postponed in March due to coronavirus concerns, announced in June that it would opt out of international competition this season (but will still play in the French league).

The other three teams from last season to not make a reappearance in either EuroLeague or the qualifying tournament are Reyer Venezia (Italy), Castors Braine (Belgium) and Çukurova (Turkey).

The 27 teams that have a direct spot in EuroCup competition, not counting the two EuroLeague qualifier losing teams, include Reyer Venezia and Castors Braine, as well as 2019-20 quarterfinals participants Valencia BC (Spain) and Flammes Carolo (France).

Two more 2019-20 EuroCup quarterfinalists, Basket Landes and CB Avenida, have been promoted to EuroLeague.

Saint-Amand Hainaut Basket (France), CDB Clarinos De La Laguna (Spain), Basket Namur Capitale (Belgium), Kangoeroes Mechelen (Belgium), BC Winterthur (Switzerland) and BBC Gréngewald Hueschtert (Luxembourg) will compete for the final three EuroCup places.

Rookies overseas

Of the 15 WNBA rookies to have signed an overseas contract for 2020-21, nine will play their first pro overseas season in EuroLeague Women or EuroCup Women.

The EuroLeague signings include Megan Walker, who will suit up for Hungary’s Sopron Basket, and Bella Alarie and Satou Sabally, who will play for Turkey’s Galatasaray and Fenerbahçe, respectively.

In EuroCup, Mikiah Herbert Harrigan and Kylee Shook will be teammates on Turkey’s Kayseri. Chennedy Carter will also play in Turkey for Elazığ İl Özel İdare, Kathleen Doyle will play for Poland’s AZS Gorzów, Jaylyn Agnew suits up for Russia’s Sparta&K Moscow Region and Beatrice Mompremier will play in Hungary for UNI Győr.

Dates to know

Both EuroLeague Women and EuroCup Women will hold their draws on Aug. 17 in Munich, and the FIBA Europe Board will announce a decision on the start of the club seasons on Sept. 1. European domestic seasons tend to start in late September and early October, while international play generally begins in October.

If FIBA decides that club competition cannot begin in September or October, the season will instead begin in January 2021; if games begin on time but are suspended due to COVID-19, the season will be shortened when it is safe to resume.