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EuroLeague Féminine

Carla Leite leads Zaragoza to stunning upset over defending champions Prague in EuroLeague playoffs

EuroLeague Women - Zaragoza delivered a major shock in the first leg of the playoffs, defeating defending champions USK Prague 82-71 on the road. Carla Leite's combative performance puts the Spanish side within one win of eliminating Valériane Ayayi, Pauline Astier, and Janelle Salaün before the quarterfinals.
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Carla Leite leads Zaragoza to stunning upset over defending champions Prague in EuroLeague playoffs

Carla Leite and Zaragoza push Prague to the brink after their road win in the first leg in the Czech Republic Photo credit: FIBA

Photo Credit : FIBA

Carla Leite delivers 13 points in the battle

The defending champions of the EuroLeague Women might not even reach the Final Six. That’s the surprising scenario unfolding after the first leg of the playoffs, where Zaragoza stunned USK Prague at home with an 82-71 victory. Carla Leite‘s teammates are now just one game away from securing a spot in the EuroLeague’s Top 6, which will compete for the crown in Zaragoza in mid-April.

The most concerning aspect for Prague was that there was never really a contest. Zaragoza controlled the game throughout, with Prague never managing to string together more than seven consecutive points. Pauline Astier (8 points on 3/9 shooting) and her teammates struggled with their accuracy, shooting just 43% compared to Zaragoza’s 54%.

The 10 points each from Valériane Ayayi and Janelle Salaün weren’t enough to counter Zaragoza’s well-oiled collective effort, led in battle by Carla Leite. The French point guard carried the offensive load, compensating for her shooting struggles (1/3) with points from the free-throw line. She finished the game with 13 points, including 10 free throws.

LIRE AUSSI

Zaragoza one win away from Final Six

With this statement road win, Casademont Zaragoza féminin has put itself in position to seal a Final Six berth next week at home. A loss in the return leg would not be settled by point differential — the format has evolved. The play-in is now a best-of-three series, meaning that if Prague manages to even things up in Spain, a decisive Game 3 would be scheduled two weeks later to determine who advances.

That shift in format only heightens the drama. The defending champions are now under real pressure: they must win on Spanish soil to extend their season and keep their title hopes alive. There is no margin for error.

For Zaragoza, the stakes couldn’t be clearer. Hosting the Final Six provides an added incentive to finish the job and avoid a winner-take-all scenario. Closing out a powerhouse like Prague would not only validate their performance in the first leg — it would mark one of the club’s most significant European achievements in recent years.

Sylvain Sultat
Sylvain Sultat follows the NBA on a daily basis, covering individual performances, team dynamics, and the league's greatest stories. On Be-Basketball, he breaks down the latest American basketball news with passion and consistency, always on the lookout for the trends shaping the world of basketball.
Carla Leite leads Zaragoza to stunning upset over defending champions Prague in EuroLeague playoffs