He 2025 FIBA Women’s Eurobasket Tournament Start next week, and you may have heard of it in the context of the key WNBA The players temporarily leave their professional teams to play for their countries of origin.
16 European countries will participate in the tournament: Checia, Germany, Greece, Italy, Sweden, Turkey, France, Spain, Serbia, Belgium, Great Britain, Lithuania, Montenegro, Portugal, Slovenia and Switzerland. The winner will be crowned European champions.
The tournament also serves as a classifier; The six best teams will describe for the Basketball World Cup Fibra Fiba 2026, which takes place next summer. Germany, the 1826 World Cup host country, will automatically qualify.
The games will be played in Greece, Italy, Checia and Germany, and the final phase takes place completely in Greece.
Why are WNBA players the partimation in Eurobasket?
As is currently 9 players leave the WNBA for two weeks to participate in Eurobasket. The Golden State Valkyries, who have 4 of these players in their list, will be more affected.
Here is the complete list of players who go temporarily abroad:
- Leonie Febich, New York Liberty – Play for Germany
- Janelle Salaün, Golden State Valkyries – Playing for France
- Julie Vanloo, Golden State Valkyries – Playing for Belgium
- Julie Allemand, Los Angeles Sparks – Playing for Belgium
- Jessica Shepard, Minnesota Lynx – Playing for Slovenia
- Teira McCowan, Dallas Wings – Play for Türkiye
- Temi Fagbénlé, Golden State Valkyries – Playing for Great Britain
- Cecilia Zandalasini, Golden State Valkyries – Playing for Italy
- Luisa Geiselsöder, Dallas Wings – Play for Germany
Several European players will not compete in Eurobasket this summer
The New York Freedom Center, Nyara Sabally, is not playing for Germany this summer while dealing with a knee injury. Minnesota Lynx eaves, Karlie Samuelson, has chosen not to play for Great Britain.
Several French players from the WNBA – Gabby Williams (Storm), Marine Johannès (Liberty), Carla Leite (Valkyries), Dominique Malonga (Storm), Bria Hartley (Sun), are not playing for France.
The tournament concludes on June 29, so all participating players will return to their WNBA teams shortly after. Meanwhile, teams can sign the players to be temporary contracts to treat the shortage of the list.
