Charleville-Mézières secured a 77-63 victory over Valencia at the Roig Arena in Spain on Tuesday, October 20, 2026, marking a standout European performance for French clubs in the EuroLeague Women group stage. The Ardennes club, which advanced through the qualifying round, improved to a 2-0 record in Group C alongside a 4-0 overall European run counting qualifiers, while Spanish side Valencia dropped to 0-2 following an earlier 88-69 defeat to Fenerbahçe.
Charleville Dominates Spain Behind Brochant and Franchelin
The visiting side established control early in Spain, utilizing a sharp counter-attack and disciplined perimeter shooting to dismantle the Spanish side. Noémie Brochant led the scoring for the visitors with 17 points, while Coline Franchelin orchestrated the offense with 16 points and 9 assists. Charleville shot over 40 percent from beyond the arc and capitalized on 21 turnovers by Valencia, whose roster featured internationals such as Raquel Carrera—who returned with 10 points and 6 rebounds—alongside Alexis Peterson and Alicia Florez. Valencia also lost Leticia Romero to an injury in the second quarter and struggled from distance, converting only 9 of 28 attempts from three-point range despite pulling down 22 offensive rebounds. The victory followed an 82-51 domestic league rout of Lattes-Montpellier on Sunday.
Bourges Overcomes Emlak Konut at the Prado
In Group D, Bourges bounced back from a previous loss in Prague by defeating Turkish side Emlak Konut 79-74 at the Prado. The team recovered from a 36-42 halftime deficit by winning the second half 43-32. Marie-Paule Dally paced the attack with 22 points on 9-of-14 shooting, supported by Inès Pitarch-Granel with 15 points and 5 rebounds, Alix Duchet with 14 points, and Maëva Djaldi-Tabdi with 11 points, while Laura Mendez added 7 assists. Bourges played with an eight-player rotation—with Maewenn Poilve logging just two minutes—and leveled its group record at 1-1, trailing only USK Prague.
Basket Landes Stumbles Against Vilnius
Basket Landes fell 67-73 to Lithuanian side Kibirkstis Vilnius in Mont-de-Marsan, dropping to 0-2 in European play despite sitting unbeaten at 5-0 domestically in La Boulangère Wonderligue. Vilnius controlled the interior through Daugile Use, who recorded 18 points and 18 rebounds. Trinity San Antonio posted 18 points, 6 assists, and 5 rebounds for the hosts, Murjanatu Musa added 17 points, and Aleksa Gulbe contributed 15 points. However, the French side converted just 3 of 16 three-point attempts, matching the shooting struggles of Vilnius, which also hit only 3 triples on 23 tries.
Local Authorities Reaffirm Support Amid Judicial Inquiry
Off the court, Charleville-Mézières continues to navigate a judicial inquiry involving five club executives concerning suspected social benefit fraud estimated at 545,000 euros affecting CPAM and France Travail. The individuals under formal investigation deny the allegations. In response to potential cash flow concerns, the Grand Est region, Ardenne Métropole, and the City of Charleville-Mézières issued a joint statement on October 15, 2026, backing the sporting project and calling for a new operational governance structure to protect the institution’s future.
Upcoming EuroLeague Fixtures on October 28
All three French representatives return to continental action on October 28, 2026. Charleville-Mézières travels to face title holder Fenerbahçe—which defeated Rapid Bucarest 101-51—with first place in Group C on the line. Bourges visits USK Prague, which maintained its unbeaten Group D standing by defeating Lublin 74-71. Meanwhile, Basket Landes travels to Greece to face winless Athinaïkos as both teams chase their first victory of the group stage.
