Fenerbahçe and its plethora of stars imposed their law in the first semi-final of the Euroleague (76-59). They did not defeat Spar Girona by a landslide, as could be expected given the budget invested in a squad that is a world team, and Roberto Íñiguez’s team fell with honor. His rival will start from the second crossing, which he will face tonight (8:30 p.m., Movistar+)
Spar Girona had a model entry into the match with a quintet that, fresh, can be familiar with anyone, including one with Breanna Stewart, Gabby Williams and Emma Meesseman. The players of the Spanish team insisted, one of the best five in the Euroleague. The center from Mali began by putting Meesseman in trouble and that stimulated her teammates. Fenerbahçe couldn’t handle the interior player no matter how many stars she had. The good basketball of Roberto Íñiguez’s team could, at least for 10 minutes, with the millionaire team of Miguel Méndez, who saw how Stewart, a woman with three Olympic golds, three WNBA titles and three Euroleague titles, accused of having joined the team only to play only these two games in the Final 6.
The Spanish coach retired the superstar and recovered the fantastic quintet with which he has been a roller all season. Fenerbahçe regained control and Girona hit a wall. Gabby Williams, perhaps the best defender in the world, was a watchdog who made life impossible for Juste Jocyte, one of the pillars of her team, unable to score more than two baskets in the first half. Meesseman, increasingly in tune, neutralized Coulibay in defense, and in attack, with apparently simple but devastating basketball, she marked the differences. Íñiguez’s team collapsed and took six minutes to score their first basket in a catastrophic second quarter in which they received a run of 14-0 (26-17). without the contribution of Coulibaly (32-22).
If the first quarter was one of hope, of beginning to allow oneself to dream, the second was a blow against the reality of an overwhelming squad. Jocyte and Bibby need Coulibaly to attract attention in the paint to find free shots, and the African center needs the outside players to find space in the inside game. Without that balance, Girona collapses as happened in a painful second quarter (25-10).
Spar Girona turned the semifinal around somewhat in the third quarter and got within six points (44-38). The last death rattle of a team that is used to scoring very easily and that this time felt strangled in attack and without luck in some decisive refereeing decisions. At the back they did a very good job, but they lost the tie with offensive errors. Méndez knew that against a Girona without Arica Carter or Marta Canella, injured, with Bibby decimated, it was enough to put all his defensive efforts into containing Jocyte, the young 20-year-old forward who will play, and Coulibaly. The bravery of Ainhoa López and Carolina Guerrero was commendable, but insufficient in the face of the abundance of quality that Fenerbahçe has, which no longer gave up an inch in its superiority. Meesseman is one game away from becoming the first player in history with seven EuroLeague titles. At the moment, Diana Taurasi and Natalia Vieru are still tied at six.
