WABA League

(Redirected from MŽRKL)

WABA League, commonly known as the Adriatic League, is a top-level regional basketball league, featuring female teams from Serbia, Montenegro, Austria, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Bulgaria, Slovenia and Croatia. Clubs from Turkey, North Macedonia, Hungary and Italy had their representatives in WABA League in past seasons. Since 2012 a Cadet WABA League and since 2014 Pionir WABA League is also played.

WABA League
Current season, competition or edition:
Current sports event 2023–24 WABA League
Official logo of the WABA League
SportBasketball
Founded2001
First season2001–02
No. of teams12
Country Austria
 Bosnia and Herzegovina
 Bulgaria
 Croatia
 Montenegro
 Serbia
 Slovenia
ContinentFIBA Europe
Most recent
champion(s)
Slovenia Cinkarna Celje
(5th title)
Most titlesCroatia Šibenik
(5 titles)
Official websitewaba-league.com

History

edit

Formation and early years

edit

WABA League was established in 2001 as EWWL League. In its first season, it included six teams from four countries (Austria, Slovenia, Croatia and Bosnia and Herzegovina). After the regular season, it held a tournament in which the three best teams played, which was won by Athlete Celje. Next season, the league expanded from six to eight teams, and the final tournament was altered so that the placement included the four top teams. At the final tournament, the winner was Željezničar Sarajevo.

 
Official trophy of WABA League (March 2016)

In 2003, the league changed its name to EWWL Trocal League, which lasted until 2006. During these seasons, the number of teams who played in the league varied from nine to twelve. In the period from 2004 to 2006, it had a representative from Macedonia and then one from Bulgaria in the 2006–07 season. Austrian clubs left the competition in 2004. Since 2003, the competing teams have been from Serbia and Montenegro. In 2006, the league changed its name to WABA NBL which was used until 2008. In 2006, the WABA Cup launched, which existed until 2010 and was attended by participants in the league. In 2007, the WABA Cup bore the name Vojko Herskel. In the 2008–09 season, the league was named after WABA Multipover; in 2009–10 season, it was named IWBL.

2010s

edit

In 2010, the league changed its name to MŽRKL. The Vojko Herksel Cup was last played. In the 2012–13 season, the league included the Hungarian PEAC-Pécs, and the Belgrade Partizan achieved a record in its history, playing 32 matches in the national competitions (regional league, championship and cup) all season without suffering a defeat. In the season of 2013–14, the format of the competition changed. The twelve participating teams were divided into two groups of six teams. Four first-placed teams were placed in the quarterfinals, with the winners to the Final Four.

In the 2015-16 season, the league introduced instead of quarterfinals League 6, in which the first phase the two groups are placed by 3 teams. The League 6 transmitted the results achieved against teams from the same group in the first phase they finished the League 6. League 6 plays a dual circuit system (one game at home and one away) against teams that have qualified from the opposite group previous stage of the competition. The four best teams in League 6 advance to the Final Four.

In September 2016, the league officially changed its name to WABA League.[1] In June 2017, the league signed a sponsorship contract with tourist agency BTravel and officially changed its name to BTravel WABA League.[2]

Names in history

edit
  • EWWL League (2001–2003)
  • EWWL Trocal League (2003–2006)
  • WABA NBL (2006–2008)
  • WABA Multipower (2008–2009)
  • IWBL (2009–2010)
  • MŽRKL (2010–2016)
  • WABA League (2016–present)

Logos

edit
Evolution of the Adriatic League logo
2001–2010 2010–2016 2016–2017 2017–2018 2018–present
n/a   without a logo   n/a

Youth competition

edit

Cadet WABA League

edit

In the season 2012–13, the Cadet League was launched, and since it has shown a lot of success in that period, it has continued to be held.[3] The winner of the first two seasons of cadet WABA League is the team Trešnjevka 2009 from Croatia, when he beat the team of Novi Zagreb[4] and Crvena zvezda.[5] In the third seasonis the champion was the team of Triglav Kranj, Slovenia, which is defeated in the final match of Maribor.[6]

Pionir WABA League

edit

Following the success of cadet league, a decision was made to launch the pioneering leagues.[7] In the first season, the winner of the pioneering league is team Croatia 2006 from Zagreb, Croatia, that won at the team of Jedinstvo Tuzla from Tuzla, Bosnia and Herzegovina.[8]

Finals

edit
Year Host Final Third and fourth place
Winner Score Runner-up Third place Fourth place
2001–02
Details
Šibenik (CRO)  
Merkur Celje
2:1  
Šibenik Jolly JBS
 
Željezničar Sarajevo
N / A
2002–03
Details
Sarajevo (BIH)  
Željezničar Sarajevo
84:78  
Šibenik Jolly JBS
 
Merkur Celje
 
Gospić Industrogradnja
2003–04
Details
Gospić (CRO)  
Gospić Industrogradnja
59:58  
Šibenik Jolly JBS
 
Croatia 2006
 
Univerziteti Priština
2004–05
Details
Šibenik (CRO)  
Šibenik Jolly JBS
82:66  
Gospić Industrogradnja
 
Vojvodina NIS
 
Željezničar Sarajevo
2005–06
Details
Novi Sad (SCG)  
Šibenik Jolly JBS
68:55  
Vojvodina NIS
 
Merkur Celje
 
Gospić Croatia Osiguranje
2006–07
Details
Sofia (BUL)  
CSKA Sofia
73:67  
Šibenik Jolly JBS
 
Gospić Croatia Osiguranje
 
Željezničar Sarajevo
2007–08
Details
Gospić (CRO)  
Šibenik Jolly JBS
72:66  
Gospić Croatia Osiguranje
 
Ragusa Dubrovnik
 
Budućnost Podgorica
2008–09
Details
Bijelo Polje (MNE)  
Šibenik Jolly JBS
69:63  
Jedinstvo Bijelo Polje
 
Gospić Croatia Osiguranje
 
Merkur Celje
2009–10
Details
Gospić (CRO)  
Gospić
73:65  
Šibenik Jolly JBS
 
Merkur Celje
 
Mladi Krajišnik
2010–11
Details
Šibenik (CRO)  
Šibenik Jolly JBS
20:0  
Gospić
 
Merkur Celje
 
Partizan
2011–12
Details
Zenica (BIH)  
Partizan Galenika
74:65  
Čelik Zenica
 
Voždovac
 
Hemofarm Štada
2012–13
Details
Novi Sad (SRB)  
Partizan Galenika
70:45  
Radivoj Korać
 
Peac-Pécs
 
Vojvodina NIS
2013–14
Details
Podgorica (MNE)  
Radivoj Korać
87:83  
Crvena zvezda
 
Athlete Celje
 
Budućnost Volcano
2014–15
Details
Celje (SLO)  
Umana Reyer Venezia
69:52  
Radivoj Korać
 
Budućnost Volcano
 
Athlete Celje
2015–16
Details
Podgorica (MNE)  
Budućnost Bemax
74:58  
Medveščak
 
Radivoj Korać
 
Kvarner
2016–17
Details
Podgorica (MNE)  
Athlete Celje
61:57  
Beroe
 
Budućnost Bemax
 
Montana 2003
2017–18
Details
Montana (BUL)  
Budućnost Bemax
71:68  
Cinkarna Celje
 
Montana 2003
 
Crvena zvezda
2018–19
Details
Celje (SLO)  
Beroe
65:64  
Budućnost Bemax
 
Cinkarna Celje
 
Crvena zvezda
2019–20
Details
Stara Zagora (BUL)  
Budućnost Bemax
Final four not played  
Cinkarna Celje
 
Montana 2003
 
Beroe
2020–21
Details
Stara Zagora (BUL)  
Beroe
66:56  
Budućnost Bemax
 
Montana 2003
 
Cinkarna Celje
2021–22
Details
Podgorica (MNE)  
Cinkarna Celje
58:51  
Budućnost Bemax
 
Orlovi
 
Montana 2003
2022–23
Details
Podgorica (MNE)  
Cinkarna Celje
66:64  
Budućnost Bemax
 
Vojvodina 021
 
Montana 2003
2023–24
Details
Podgorica (MNE)  
Cinkarna Celje
64:59  
Budućnost Bemax
 
Orlovi
 
Sloga Požega

Champions

edit
Team Winners Runners-up Years won Years runner-up
  Šibenik
5
5
2005, 2006, 2008, 2009, 2011 2002, 2003, 2004, 2007, 2010
  Cinkarna Celje
5
2
2002, 2017, 2022, 2023, 2024 2018, 2020
  Budućnost Podgorica
3
5
2016, 2018, 2020 2019, 2021, 2022, 2023, 2024
  Gospić
2
3
2004, 2010 2005, 2008, 2011
  Beroe
2
1
2019, 2021 2017
  Partizan
2
2012, 2013
  Radivoj Korać
1
2
2014 2013, 2015
  Željezničar Sarajevo
1
2003
  CSKA Sofia
1
2007
  Umana Reyer Venezia
1
2015
  Vojvodina
1
2006
  Jedinstvo Bijelo Polje
1
2009
  Čelik Zenica
1
2012
  Crvena zvezda
1
2014
  Medveščak
1
2016

Notable person's

edit

Former players

edit
  Belarus
  Bosnia and Herzegovina
  Croatia
  Czech Republic
  North Macedonia
 
  Montenegro
  Serbia
 
  Slovenia
  United States
 

Former coaches

edit

Awards

edit

Sponsors

edit
Title sponsor
  • BTravel (Croatian tourist agency) (June 2017 - 2018)

See also

edit

References

edit
  1. ^ "MŽRKL - Međunarodna ženska regionalna košarkaška liga". Retrieved 3 September 2016.
  2. ^ "Igra i Kraljevo, sutra žreb, sponzor i novo ime lige". 29 June 2017. Retrieved 21 July 2017.
  3. ^ "MŽRKL - Međunarodna ženska regionalna košarkaška liga". Retrieved 29 May 2015.
  4. ^ "MŽRKL - Međunarodna ženska regionalna košarkaška liga". Retrieved 29 May 2015.
  5. ^ "MŽRKL - Međunarodna ženska regionalna košarkaška liga". Retrieved 29 May 2015.
  6. ^ "MŽRKL - Međunarodna ženska regionalna košarkaška liga". Retrieved 29 May 2015.
  7. ^ "MŽRKL - Međunarodna ženska regionalna košarkaška liga". Retrieved 29 May 2015.
  8. ^ "MŽRKL - Međunarodna ženska regionalna košarkaška liga". Retrieved 29 May 2015.
edit