Turkish KBSL Playoff Preview
6 Sky players on 4 different teams begin their quest to try to stop Fenerbahçe winning their 15th title in the last 18 seasons.
With two teams reaching the EuroLeague Final Four for the second season in a row, it’s no secret that the Turkish KBSL has become one of the world’s strongest leagues with others clubs rising up to join longtime powerhouse Fenerbahçe as premier destinations for WNBA stars. One key to keeping the league popular? An early playoff slate that allows players to see out the league season with their clubs and not fall foul of the WNBA’s recently implement prioritization rules—which mean that veteran players must report to camp by May 1. This offseason, 7 players with some kind of contract with Chicago for 2024 have played in the KBSL and six of them have qualified for the playoffs. The first round begins Saturday and is a best of three—contested by the top 8 in the standings—while the semifinals are also best of three and the final is a best of five.
As always, you can find the best site to stream all of the different leagues the Sky players are involved in live + the full schedule of games over the coming weeks in this article which is updated on a regular basis. Let’s dive into the opening round matchups with a special focus on where Sky players feature.
Fenerbahçe (1) vs. Botaş (8)
Fenerbahçe have been successful for some time (as evidenced by their 15 titles in the last 18 iterations of this competition), but this year’s team still feels like their best yet. Emma Meesseman is back in her second season with the club and will likely remain the best player outside the W for as long as she skips the summer season to focus on playing with Belgium. She’s joined in the front court by Napheesa Collier who herself has been dominant in limited action in the Turkish League (5 games, 24 pts and 10 rebounds per). Elsewhere, the team has more Lynx stars in the form of Nikolina Milić and Kayla McBride while Yvonne Anderson and Natasha Howard round out their WNBA contingent. Given their annual success, you likely won’t be surprised to find out that the domestic talent on Fener’s roster is also amongst the best the country has to offer.
Botaş have recovered brilliantly from a 4-9 start to reach the playoffs and Sky guard Lindsay Allen is largely to thank for the team’s strong finish to the season—finishing third in the KBSL in assists per game (8.0). A big key to Botaş’ recent success has been her work off-the-dribble, especially in the pick-and-roll, with her aggression opening the floor up for others. Chicago training camp invitee Taya Reimer has also been key with averages of 12.4 p and 7.5 r. Despite the brilliance of those two, veteran wing Lyndra Weaver is so often the player the team looks to for a bucket because of her ability to score at all three levels. On the defensive end, Botaş have faired well (4th in PPG allowed) with former Sky big Natasha Mack a key rim protector (2.0 BPG, 1st in KBSL).
The Matchup
The case is already clear. Fener ran the table in the league’s regular season (28-0), and it will take a mammoth effort for any team in these playoffs to beat them. Allen, Reimer and Botaş should be proud of their playoff-clinching run, but their club simply doesn’t have the resources to build a super team like Fener has.
My Prediction: Fener Sweep
Beşiktaş (2) vs. Nesibe Aydın (7)
Beşiktaş have had a tough continental schedule to contend with on their way to the EuroCup final but have still clinched home court for the playoff’s opening round. Dana Evans is largely to thank as the Sky point has led all scorers in the KBSL regular season (23.7) while also finishing 6th in assists per game (6.5). Li Yueru—who the Sky traded to LA last month—is the center of the team’s offense down low and getting her paint touches is essential for the overall flow of the offense. If Yueru doesn’t get touches, Evans and backcourt partner Jovana Nogić (17.9 PPG on 41/36/91 splits) resort to firing a lot of threes which—as for any team not led by Steph Curry—is usually a boom or bust proposition. At their best, this is a fantastic defensive team—with Evans spearheading the effort at the point of attack. However, they also have a tendency to get into shootouts—something they have to avoid doing in these playoffs.
Nesibe Aydın, despite a solid season, were sometimes lost in no mans land between the league’s well-defined top six and the pack of teams behind that battled for the final playoff spot. Their roster has a pair of solid W players in the form of Alaina Coates (LV), Emma Cannon (DAL), but Jessica Thomas—a Miami grad—has been the team’s most important player with averages of 16.2 points and 7.4 assists per game (4th in KBSL). Cannon, like in the W, has been reliable at both ends—ending the season as just one of only 8 KBSL players that averaged a double-double with 19 and 10. Coates (13 and 9) was not far off that list with all three players and domestic standout Pelin Bilgiç key to the team’s top 5 defense.
The Matchup
Beşiktaş throttled Nesibe in the final game of the regular season (94-70) to clinch the second seed and complete the season sweep over their first round rivals. Between their push for the second seed and their qualification for the EuroCup final, Beşiktaş have been ins something akin to playoff mode for some time—winning 10 of 12 in the league and 9 straight in all competitions. In the latter rounds of these playoffs, I do worry about Beşiktaş getting into shootouts, but they have the firepower to outlast Nesibe even if the series goes that way.
My Prediction: Beşiktaş Sweep
Ormanspor (3) vs. Mersin (6)
Ormanspor have been a pleasant surprise of the KBSL season thanks to a strong WNBA trio of Sug Sutton (PHO), Damiris Dantas (IND) and Sky forward Michaela Onyenwere. They’ve been streaky (8-1 start, 1-5 over the next 6, 10-3 over the last 13), but their recent performance, especially during an 8 game win streak to start 2024, has turned some heads. They aren’t an elite offensive or defensive team statistically (8th in points scored and 6th in points allowed per game), but their strong record in matches decided by 10 or fewer points (10-5) underlines their ability to win tight games—of which there should be plenty in this year’s playoffs. Getting all three of their stars involved is obviously a priority, but the team typically fairs best (10-3) when Dantas clears the 20-point barrier. Getting her in rhythm early is priority number one but it’s also key that Onyenwere is involved—with the team’s offense often grinding to a halt if she fades out of the game offensively.
Mersin, at this seeding, are the sleeping giants of this year’s playoffs. After a run to the EuroLeague final last season and a return to the Final 4 this time around, there’s no doubt that this is one of the premier clubs in Europe at the moment. Yet, a string of inconsistency, roster turnover and coaching changes leaves Mersin without home court. Offensively, there’s no indication that this group has any problem scoring when at full strength with Marina Mabrey and Elizabeth Williams key to their efforts and Kahleah Copper arriving to add an additional shot in the arm. Defensively, it’s been more of a mixed bag. Williams finished second in the league in blocks (1.95) and it was obvious what Copper added in the EuroLeague quarterfinals, but the consistency has been lacking in league play. Regardless, Mersin have demonstrated more than enough at their best to suggest they’re still the team with the best chance to dethrone Fener—who they narrowly lost January’s Turkish Cup final to.
The Matchup
Mersin arrive to the playoffs just 11-11 in their last 22 games in all competitions and, as a result, it’s reasonable to think that Ormanspor have a chance. That being said, Williams, Mabrey and Copper have played just three games together in the KBSL and Mersin have won all three (including one against Ormanspor on March 10th) by an average margin of 17. Onyenwere had some success defending Copper in that meeting, but Copper’s ability to entirely ice her out of Ormanspor’s offense was far more impactful on the final result. Ormanspor are good value for their number three seed (and very resilient), but I just don’t think they can slow down both Mabrey and Copper for three consecutive games.
My Prediction: Mersin Wins 2-1
İzmit Belediyespor (4) vs. Galatasaray (5)
İzmit Belediyespor have quietly kept pace with the top (non-Fener) teams in the KBSL all season on the back of a brilliant season from Whitney Young graduate Khaalia Hillsman. Hillsman—who briefly played for the Sky last season—ranks 7th in the league in scoring (21.3) and leads all KBSL players in rebounds per game (12.3) and efficiency (28.9). The rest of the supporting cast is similarly composed of players with limited WNBA experience but plenty of longevity overseas. Former Vol Jaime Nared is second on the team in scoring (19.3) and rebounding (9.1) and provides valuable size for a team that does a lot of their damage from inside the arc (10/15 teams in 3PT%). One thing İzmit does very well is share the basketball. They finished 4th in the KBSL in assists per with Nared (4.0), Ayşe Cora (4.7) and Özge Özışık (5.6) all amongst the league’s top 30.
Galatasaray will probably feel they could’ve achieved a better regular season record with the talent they have, but that bodes well for them outperforming their seed in the playoffs. Teaira McCowan is starting to find her form with the team after beginning the season in China while NaLyssa Smith authored some key periods of her own dominance before McCowan arrived to add support up front. Add in highly experienced EuroBasket winner Julie Vanloo, a strong core of domestic players and former UConn star Bria Hartley (who’ll soon be going to camp with the Aces), and you’ve got a roster with balance, depth, and a ton of offensive firepower. With McCowan, Smith and Vanloo alone, you also have the foundation of an elite defensive team though, again, this roster hasn’t had enough time together to hit those high notes just yet (89 PPG allowed in 8 games since McCowan’s arrival).
The Matchup
Galatasaray have a lot of talent, but McCowan is obviously going to be their focal point. Thus, a match-up with İzmit probably isn’t ideal as Hillsman (6’5”) will cause problems for McCowan that other bigs simply wouldn’t. That said, there’s still an advantage for McCowan in both size and quality while the overall lack of size on İzmit’s roster means Smith can feast on the opportunities that come her way in this series—building on her strong regular season. I think İzmit can keep the series close—especially given Gala’s overall inconsistency—but McCowan and Smith are still too much to contain inside. Watch for Hartley, who hasn’t found consistency with Gala yet but can score in bunches, to be an x-factor.
My Prediction: Galatasaray Wins 2-1