Players: Erlana Larkins and Shavonte Zellous
Country: Turkey
Team: Adana ASKI Spor
Two Fever players, Shavonte Zellous and Erlana Larkins, recently signed with the same team, Adana ASKI Spor of the Turkish KBSL league. Adana ASKI is currently in last place with a 2-13 record in the KBSL.
Larkins made her presence felt immediately with her new team, as she posted an impressive double-double in her first game on Jan. 10. Larkins finished with 13 points, 15 rebounds, and two assists against Canik Belediyesi Samsun. In that same game, a 61-69 road-loss to Canik Belediyesi Samsun (8-7), Shavonte Zellous finished with nine points and five rebounds.
In their second game, a 70-87 home-loss to Basketbolu Gelistirenler S.K. (7-8) on Jan. 16, Zellous dropped 19 points, while Larkins added eight points, six rebounds, six assists, and three steals.
The Fever teammates will take on a familiar face on Jan. 23, as they travel to take on fellow Fever teammate Lynetta Kizer and Galatasaray M.P. Istanbul (12-3). Adana ASKI Spor has lost each its five previous meetings with Galatasaray. Their team has 11 games remaining in the KBSL league regular season.
Player: Natalie Achonwa
Country: Italy
Team: Saces Mapei Napoli
After a brief trip back home for the holidays, Natalie Achonwa recently returned to Italy to resume play for Saces Mapei Napoli. Her team is currently tied for sixth place in the Italian League, Serie A1, with a 7-8 record. Through six league games, she has averaged 19.8 points, 8.8 rebounds, one assist, 2.2 steals, and 0.5 blocks in 34.7 minutes per game. She has shot 66 percent from the field and 77 percent from the free throw line.
In her most recent game in Serie A1 play on Jan. 10, Achonwa’s team was defeated, 54-75, by Di Lupari (8-6). Achonwa finished with 16 points on 7-of-9 shooting, seven rebounds, two assists, and a steal in 31 minutes played.
Napoli’s next regular season game in Serie A1 is Jan. 24 against Lavezzini Parma (6-9), whom Napoli has defeated just once in their last three meetings.
Achonwa’s team finished their EuroCup regular season schedule in second place in Group G with a 4-2 record.
In their initial game of the first round of the EuroCup tournament, Napoli was defeated at home, 59-81, by Sparta&K Vidnoe Moscow Region (5-1) of Russia. Achonwa played well in the loss, however, finishing with a game-high 19 points on 8-for-16 from the field (3-of-4 on free throws), five rebounds, an assist, a steal, and a block in 27 minutes.
In the second game of that series, a 60-62 loss in Moscow, Achonwa had 10 points on 4-of-6 shooting, four rebounds, two assists, and a steal in just 19 minutes.
Player: Marissa Coleman
Country: Turkey
Team: Fenerbahce Spor Kulubu Istanbul
Marissa Coleman is playing in Turkey for Fenerbahce Spor Kulubu Istanbul. Her team is currently tied for second place in the KBSL standings with an 11-4 record. Through 12 games in the Turkish KBSL league, she is averaging 9.8 points, 4.3 rebounds, 1.6 assists, and 0.6 steals, while making 40 percent of her field goals, 26 percent of her three-pointers, and 82 percent of her free throws.
In an 86-71 road-win over Edirne (4-11) on Jan. 10, Coleman had 15 points (2-of-3 on 3-pointers), five rebounds, two assists, and a steal in 28 minutes.
In a 71-67 home-win against Mersin BSH BLD (10-5) on Jan. 17, Coleman had 11 points (4-for-10 on field goals; 2-for-2 on free throws), five rebounds, an assist, and a steal in 29 minutes.
Coleman’s next game in Turkish League action is Jan. 23 against Botasspor Adana (7-8). Fenerbahce has won four of the previous five meetings with Botasspor.
Coleman’s team is currently in first place in Group A of the EuroLeague standings with a 9-1 record. Through seven EuroLeague games she is averaging 9.6 points, 3.9 rebounds, 2.9 assists, and 1.1 steals. She is shooting 45 percent from the field, 26 percent on three-pointers, and 64 percent from the charity stripe.
Coleman had 11 points, five rebounds, six assists and three steals in a 66-56 home win against Dynamo Kursk (6-3) on December 16.
In a 77-54 win over Villeneuve (5-5) on Jan. 13, Coleman had eight points (4-for-8 from the field), five rebounds, four assists, and a steal in 22 minutes.
Coleman’s next EuroLeague match is Jan. 20 on the road against UNIQA Euroleasing Sopron (1-9), whom her team has defeated in each of their previous five meetings.
Player: Natasha Howard
Country: South Korea
Team: KB Stars Saoul
Natasha Howard is playing for the KB Stars Saoul in South Korea. Her team is currently in fifth place in the WKBL standings with a record of 9-12. Through 21 games she is averaging 10.4 points, 5.4 rebounds, 0.8 assists, 1.1 steals, and 0.8 blocks in 17.6 minutes per game. She is shooting 50 percent from the field and 53 percent from the free throw line.
In her most recent game, Howard had 10 points, six rebounds, an assist, a steal, and a block in 21 minutes in a 73-64 loss to KEB Hanabank Bucheon (11-10) on Jan. 11.
Howard’s next game is at home against Woori Hansae (19-2) on Jan. 20.
Player: Shenise Johnson
Country: Slovakia
Team: Good Angels Kosice
Shenise Johnson is playing in Slovakia for Good Angels Kosice. Her team is currently in first place in the Slovakian-Extraliga standings with a perfect 18-0 record. After playing in eight Extraliga games, Johnson is averaging 12.1 points, 5.8 rebounds, 2.6 assists, 2.8 steals, and 0.9 blocks in 21.4 minutes per game. She is shooting 57 percent on field goals, 38 percent on three-pointers, and 77 percent on free throws.
Given her team’s dominance in the Slovakian-Extraliga, Good Angels Kosice appears to be saving Johnson primarily for EuroLeague games, as she last appeared in an Extraliga game on Dec. 12 in a 119-37 drubbing of BAM Poprad (6-14). In that game she scored 17 points, hitting 6-of-9 shots, 2-of-3 three-pointers, and all-three free throw attempts. She also collected seven rebounds, dished out seven assists, and had both a steal and a block in 22 minutes of action.
Johnson’s team’s next action in the Slovakian League takes place on Jan. 23 against Piestanske (15-3) at home. Her team has won each of the last five meetings in the series, with an average margin of victory of 18.4 points per game.
Johnson’s team is currently in sixth place in Group A of the EuroLeague standings with a 3-7 record. Through eight EuroLeague games, Johnson has struggled on shots within the 3-point line, hitting only 11-of-46 attempts, but she has been a marksman on those outside, going 12-for-21 for 57 percent on 3-pointers. She is averaging 11.9 points, 6.4 rebounds, 1.8 assists, and 1.8 steals, and shooting 77 percent from the free throw line.
In her most recent game in EuroLeague play, against her Fever teammate Lynetta Kizer and Galatasaray (5-4) on Jan. 13, Johnson had 12 points, three rebounds, and three assists in 31 minutes in a 57-69 loss.
Johnson’s next game in EuroLeague play will be on Jan. 20 against Dynamo Kursk (6-4), who has won its previous three meetings with Good Angels Kosice.
Player: Lynetta Kizer
Country: Turkey
Team: Galatasaray M.P. Istanbul
Lynetta Kizer is a member of Galatasaray M.P. Istanbul in Turkey. Her team is currently in first place with a 12-3 record in the Turkish KBSL league. In the two Turkish KBSL games she has played, she has averaged 14.5 points, three rebounds, and 0.5 steals in 25.5 minutes per game. She shot 48 percent from the field and hit all seven of her free throw attempts in 25.5 minutes per game.
Kizer’s next Turkish League game is Jan. 23 against Adana ASKI (2-13) and fellow Fever teammates Erlana Larkins and Shavonte Zellous. Galatasaray has won each of the last five meetings in that series.
Kizer’s team is currently tied for third place in Group A in the EuroLeague standings with a record of 6-4. After playing in five EuroLeague games she has averaged 12.2 points, seven rebounds, and 1.8 assists. She is shooting 50 percent from the field and 83 percent from the free throw line in 28.6 minutes per game.
On Jan. 7, Kizer had 15 points, seven rebounds, five assists, and two blocks in a 60-75 road-loss to Dynamo Kursk (6-3) of Russia.
In her last EuroLeague game, Kizer posted a double-double in a 69-57 win against her Fever teammate Shenise Johnson and Good Angels Kosice (3-7). Kizer finished with 14 points (6-of-11 from the field) and 10 rebounds in 35 minutes.
Kizer’s next EuroLeague game is Jan. 20 against Villeneuve (5-5), whom Galatasaray defeated in their previous game on Nov. 4, 59-35.