MUNICH (EuroLeague Women) - Women's basketball specialist Paul Nilsen reflects on the latest round of the 2015-16 EuroLeague Women season.

Third time lucky for Sopron
Uniqa Sopron really did land a heavy and early body blow to Perfumerias Avenida with that white-hot 29-13 start as they registered their opening win of the 2015-16 campaign.

It was a wonderful, gutsy and really confident ten-minute spell, which was thoroughly at odds with the two previous weeks that etched a picture of a team low on confidence, way off the pace and a long way from claiming a maiden success.

How wrong I was on that point and this was a really pivotal win.

For the neutral, it was gratifying to see a veteran like Zsofia Fegyverneky step up with a superb 9 assists. It was complemented by a real team performance - with five players all making it into double figures. The credit for such a rapid start which laid the foundation for victory has to be placed on the shoulders of the coaching staff and not just the players.

It felt like a true welcome back for the long-time participants after their venture into EuroCup Women, and also confirmed the deliciously exciting nature of this season's EuroLeague Women. After all, Villeneuve d'Ascq beat Sopron by 34 points, Avenida beat Villeneuve by 23 points and then Sopron go and beat Avenida!

The concept of mini-groups within the bigger groups continues to formulate. Whether either of these three teams can make the top four and get into the play-offs is doubtful at the moment - although there is also the prize of a direct place in the EuroCup Women Quarter-Finals at stake too for those who finish fifth and sixth in the group.

Very good Angels, pose questions
It's tricky to know how much to read into Good Angels Kosice's fine home success against Galatasaray - either in respect of the hosts or the visitors' direction of travel. Without wanting to be too gushing in praise of Kosice, they are obviously in a great place after three games and will be delighted.

To be looking further down the street and not over your shoulder is a great feeling - although there is the notion that perhaps they just have Galatsaray's number, having beaten them in Istanbul last season and also at home.

I expect Maros Kovacik and his players will find it very difficult in Kursk next week, but I will be hugely interested in their next home game against Beretta Famila Schio. This will be an exciting test of their credentials and at what is likely to determine whether they go 3-2 or 2-3 (boldly assuming they do actually go down in Kursk).

As for Galatasaray - is this a little bit of history repeating? An early loss to Kosice (albeit on the road instead of at home) who did the double against them last season. Are Kosice just a ‘bogey' team - or is there something more fundamental for the 2014 champions to worry about?

With Villeneuve d'Ascq, Uniqa Sopron and Perfumerias Avenida next on the menu - nothing less than three wins will do and not least because the game after that is Fenerbahce.

Ekrem Memnun really can't afford his team to have another inauspicious start and perhaps this loss will signal to underdog trio Villeneuve, Sopron and Avenida that there is blood in the water again and give them motivation and belief they can win and really pile some pressure on the Turkish heavyweights.

My weekly gongs
Team performance of the week: There were a string of impressive results and it eventually boiled down to Good Angels Kosice beating Galatasaray and Uniqa Sopron defeating Perfumerias Avenida. On balance, I have to hand the gong to Sopron. Taking into account they had such a rough couple of weeks prior to the game, this was an outstanding and morale-boosting victory. Huge congratulations to Laszlo Sterbenz and his players.
Individual performance of the week: There is no looking past Dynamo Kursk forward Nnemkadi Ogwumike as the popular choice for her fantastic double-double against Schio of 27 points and 16 rebounds. It was also the highest individual score of the season so far. Although I was tempted to hand it to Fegyverneky for her near double-double for Sopron as she became only the third player this season to reach nine assists in a game - nobody has handed out 10 yet.
Unsung hero: Perhaps not strictly unsung as such, but behind the double-double effort of Crystal Langhorne for Good Angels Kosice stood a terrific 14 points on a 7-of-11 shooting display by Slovenian ace Teja Oblak which helped take down Galatsaray.
Rising star: Aleksandra Crvendakic for weighing in with a nice cameo for Sopron after claiming a double digit return of 10 points to go with six rebounds in a modest 15 minutes of court time.

Footnotes
After just three weeks, 15 of the 16 competitors in the competition now have a victory against their name, with Wisla Can-Pack having the unwanted distinction of now being the only club yet to record a victory.

Wisla Can-Pack were pounded by UMMC on the glass and the Russian visitors were the first team this season to rack up 50 rebounds in an individual game.

It was an impressive win for Nadezhda against defending champions ZVVZ USK Prague and it was noticeable how Angelica Robinson became only the second player this season to grab seven priceless offensive rebounds.

If at first you don't succeed - try and try again. Combined with another saying (from a biased Brit) that form is temporary and class is permanent, what about Johannah Leedham this week? She showed mental toughness helping Tango Bourges get a first victory by shrugging off a stone cold 0-of-9 in regulation to convert successive three-balls during overtime to see off pesky Agu Spor. There was a collective sigh of relief from the French contingent on and off the court - but I imagine none more so than from the GB national team star.

Go to www.fibaeurope.com/euroleaguewomen for full coverage of the EuroLeague Women.

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