BioSil-WBBL Final Four Preview: Title Pursuit Culminates in Riga

Action tips off on Saturday with the semifinals: at 3:00 PM, regular-season leaders Kibirkstis (14-0) face defending champions TTT Riga (8-6), followed by Neptunas-Amberton (12-2) taking on LCC International University (9-5) at 6:00 PM.

Sunday's schedule features the third-place game at 12:30 PM and the highly anticipated final at 3:30 PM.

Fans can follow the BioSil-WBBL Final Four via Sportacentrs.com and TV4 in Latvia, and lrt.lt in Lithuania.

Shifting Rosters

Kibirkstis enters the Final Four as the team to beat, having swept their regular season series against TTT Riga. However, those matchups showcased two different versions of the Riga squad. In their October 20th 80-65 home victory, Kibirkstis focused on containing TTT Riga's American star, Mia Loyd (who scored 32 points). By the time the teams met again on March 15th, a commanding 87-67 Kibirkstis win in Riga, TTT Riga had bolstered their roster with new additions: American Dominique Wilson (16 points) and Austrian Sarah Sagerer (15 points) stepped up.

"This season was about rebuilding for us, our young players gained valuable experience. Despite some difficulties, our team proved competitive and is on a good trajectory for the future," said TTT Riga head coach Martins Zibarts. "This Final Four presents a huge challenge, as we face the undefeated tournament favorite, Kibirkstis, in the semifinal. We aren't the favorites, but we have a great opportunity to show our growth."

Kibirkstis head coach Egidijus Zenevicius acknowledged his team's favored status, a reflection of their dominant season. Yet, he approached the Final Four with caution:

"All four teams are in the Final Four with the same goal: to win. We also have only one goal, and we are preparing to the fullest," said Zenevicius. "TTT Riga has strengthened their roster throughout the season, they are playing at home, and it's a one-game scenario, so anything can happen. I hope we showcase our level and the hard work we've put in, and everything will go well. But anything is possible in the Final Four. Every team comes out fighting, and TTT Riga, coming from a lower seed, won't be burdened by pressure."

Zenevicius also reflected on their semifinal loss to Riga a year ago: "Those were different teams, a different situation. It's impossible to compare that Riga team with the current one and try to motivate our players that way. We've also changed significantly. The key will be sticking to our game plan. I hope all our players are healthy, as we've been dealing with illnesses and minor injuries. We know our opponents, we know our assignments, so we need to execute the plan, plain and simple."

Derby Returns

The all-Klaipėda rivalry promises another intense battle. While LCC University prevailed in their BioSil-WBBL semifinal matchup last year (62-52), Neptunas-Amberton has had the upper hand this season, winning all four encounters (58-50 and 75-69 in the Baltic League, 67-58 in the Lithuanian League, and 90-70 in the Queen's Cup).

"Our season can be divided into two parts. While we were playing in the FIBA Europe Cup, we had a lot of travel, and that took a toll physically. We were winning domestically, but we had to grind out those wins. We could have easily lost several of those games," said Neptunas-Amberton head coach Martynas Airosius. "After our European campaign ended, we could focus more on practice and improving our game."

Airosius acknowledged the closeness of the Klaipeda series: "Only the Queen's Cup game was a comfortable win, and even then, only in the second half. The first game was tight, and we were down in the second and third matchups. It sounds cliché, but this 4-0 against LCC means nothing now."

Coach emphasized the importance of slowing down LCC University's pace.

"Without going into too much detail, the most important thing is to stop their fast-paced game," said Airosius. "LCC International University is one of the fastest teams in the league, and they punish mistakes. We also need to limit their second-chance opportunities as much as possible. And the three-pointers. Their Latvian guards are some of the most dangerous shooters in the league, if not the most dangerous."

LCC International University head coach Vilius Stanisauskas noted challenging schedule: "We only started specifically preparing for the Final Four on Thursday, because we still had a Lithuanian league game on Tuesday. We'll be the youngest team with the smallest budget in the Final Four, so we aren't the favorites. But anything can happen in tournaments like this. We know our opponents well, and we've been losing because we keep losing the fourth quarters. We have a shorter rotation, and we run out of energy at the end of games, and then our players make wrong decisions on both ends. But that same rotation means our players are gaining more experience, and I believe we will find that extra energy in the fourth quarter as the season closes out."

Stanisauskas also highlighted the difficulty in containing Neptunas-Amberton's key players, especially center Egle Sventoraite: "As always, you know what they play, how they play against us. We need to stop their leaders on defense, which has been difficult for us this year. But I believe that day will come when we succeed."