EuroLeague Women Preview: Wednesday 11 January

ISTANBUL (EuroLeague Women) - We have now passed the halfway turn of the EuroLeague Women Regular Season as we look at six games scheduled for Wednesday and the start of Week 8.

One of the stories from last week was Beretta Famila Schio just being pipped 74-73 by ZVVZ USK Prague in a classic in the Czech capital. It doesn't get any easier for Miguel Mendez and his team as the Italians are in Istanbul for a tough match-up against Fenerbahce.

Yet despite the gut-wrenching loss in Prague, it brought a huge amount of positivity according to veteran Laura Macchi who was applauded for her sporting behaviour after asking a referee to overturn a decision in favor of her opponents during the last five minutes of a gripping game.

#Euroleaguewomen vince Praga 74-73 ma il grande cuore #orange #familaschio è stato esemplare. pic.twitter.com/7owARUgzS4
— familaschio (@familaschio) January 4, 2017

She said: "We played a good game as Prague is one of the best teams in EuroLeague Women. To face them in such a way is very motivating for us and overall it was still a good result for us.

"We played good defense and our offense was solid too - only the last minutes decided the outcome."

Both teams played in an exciting season opener as Fenerbahce clinched a 75-73 win in overtime on Italian soil.

Also in Group A, Dynamo Kursk will be expected to move to 8-0 when they face Wisla Can-Pack who have brought in Vanessa Gidden. This is also an all-Spanish coaching clash between Lucas Mondelo and Jose Hernandez. ZVVZ USK Prague will also be favourites to overpower struggling CMB Cargo Uni Gyor, while winless Mersin continue their quest for history and a maiden victory at Montpellier.

Group B also contains a winless side in the shape of CCC Polkowice who will land at Uniqa Sopron encouraged by last week's gutsy effort against UMMC Ekaterinburg. Meanwhile Sopron have added to their roster with the arrival of Shenise Johnson. As for the hosts, they are looking to avoid a potential fourth defeat in five games, with head coach Laszlo Sterbenz still upset at his team's carelessness last week against ESBVA-LM.

He said: "They just didn't let us play and when you have 27 turnovers, you can't win any game. We could only manage to play our game up until the end of the second quarter and not after this."

Finally, there's an all-French match-up at Le Prado as ESBVA-LM try to avenge a home court loss during Week 1 to their domestic rivals, Tango Bourges.