The 2024-2025 Biosil-Women's Baltic Basketball League is set to tip off this Sunday, featuring an updated format and the much-anticipated return of an Estonian club.
The opening match will see two of Lithuania's top teams from last season go head-to-head: reigning Lithuanian champions Kibirkstis Vilnius will face Queen's Cup winners Neptunas-Amberton Klaipeda. The game tips off at 3 PM on August 29th in Vilnius, with the winners also securing the Lithuanian BlueIron Super Cup.
A key innovation for this season is the introduction of the A and B divisions. This move aims to create a more competitive environment for teams of varying skill levels.
Division A will feature Kibirkstis, Neptunas-Amberton, and two other Lithuanian teams: LCC International University and Siauliai-Vilmers. Joining them will be Latvia's defending champion TTT-Riga, Liepaja/LSSS, RSU, and the Estonian team TSA/CITYTEED Tallinn.
Division B will consist of five Lithuanian teams (Aistes-LSMU Kaunas, Panevezys, Uniclub Bet-Oaks Vilnius, Atletas from the Kaunas district, and Akmenes krastas) and three Latvian (Daugavpils University, TTT Riga Juniors, and the Latvian U16 national team).
Biosil-WBBL President Arvydas Klovas emphasized the necessity of dividing the teams to ensure more balanced competition. “Last season, it became clear that the teams varied significantly in their skill levels. This division allows the strongest teams to constantly challenge each other and grow,” he explained.
The return of an Estonian team is another highlight of the season. Klovas expressed his excitement about the team's participation, noting that it would not only expand the league's geographic reach but also provide a new challenge for the top teams in Lithuania and Latvia. He believes that the Tallinn team's involvement will catalyze the growth of women's basketball in Estonia.
Klovas also highlighted the shared challenges faced by women's basketball across the Baltic region.
"We met with FIBA Europe president Jorge Garbajosa, he is well-informed about Biosil-WBBL, fully supports us, and sees that this project is necessary," said the Biosil-WBBL president. "We communicate a lot with our colleagues from Latvia and Estonia, we want all countries to be maximally involved in the league's activities because our goal is the same for all – the development and popularization of women's basketball."
The Biosil-WBBL season will follow a two-round format, culminating in playoffs to determine the Final Four participants.
