Fenerbahce wins SuperCup Women title over Besiktas in an empty arena
There were various storylines entering the scheduled Oct. 2 SuperCup Women title game between Beşiktaş and Fenerbahçe, the EuroCup and the EuroLeague winners, in both team’s hometown of Istanbul, Turkey.
However, two minutes into the contest, before we could get a notion of how these questions would be answered, the players were sent back to their locker rooms, as the fans were firing pyrotechnics, and continued to do so despite the stoppage. At least two flares landed on the court, damaging it in the process, all the while the fans continued to chant and sing. At this moment, it seemed that holding the game in Istanbul, where both teams play, was not a good idea, even though the location initially made a ton of sense.
After an hour-long wait it was decided that the game was to be replayed the next day at 3 p.m. local time in an empty arena. The unbelievable derby atmosphere, with constant chants and songs, with fans clapping their hands and banging the drums, was no longer a factor, which left us stripped of an integral element of top Istanbul teams playing against one another. For those unfamiliar with the term, the derby is a rivalry game between two local teams. There’s history, animosity and passion involved. Sometimes too much passion, as evidenced by the fans’ actions during the scheduled contest. The organizers punished not only the fans in the stands, but also those at home, as well as the players.
As for the game itself, Fenerbahçe triumphed 79-63. But the first half the game was close, with Beşiktaş up by four points at halftime. After the break, though, despite former Texas A&M standout Khaalia Hillsman dominating in the post (20 points, 11 rebounds), the Black Eagles of Beşiktaş couldn’t hold onto the lead. Things got especially sad when Mühl fell to the floor after landing awkwardly in the third quarter. The no-contact injury, which not only required Mühl to be assisted off the floor, but left her watching the rest of the competition with tears in her eyes, was especially painful to witness in an empty arena, when her scream filled the space that would’ve been otherwise occupied by some of the loudest fans in Europe.
https://www.swishappeal.com/2024/10/3/24260402/fiba-supercup-women-euroleague-eurocup-fenerbahce-besiktas-nika-muhl-emma-meesseman-gabby-williams