Preview: Mersin Faces Panathinaikos in Women’s Basketball Clash

ATHENS, Greece (Interstat) — A cross-border women’s professional basketball matchup features the visiting Mersin of Turkey against Panathinaikos of Greece on Thursday, Feb. 5, 2026.

The game, organized by the Turkey A league, brings together teams on contrasting trajectories. Mersin arrives with a 16-9 record across all competitions, riding a five-game winning streak. Their most recent outing was a dominant 115-62 road victory over Ormanspor on Jan. 30. Panathinaikos, holding a strong 7-3 record, looks to rebound after a narrow 94-93 home loss to Sosnowiec on Jan. 21.

A key matchup will feature Mersin’s dynamic guard Alina Iagupova against Panathinaikos’ dominant post player Sedona Prince. Iagupova has been a consistent all-around force, averaging 11.5 points, 7.3 rebounds and 3.0 assists over her last four games. Prince is coming off a monumental 30-point, 15-rebound performance in the loss to Sosnowiec and averaged 26 points and 16.5 rebounds in her two most recent contests.

Mersin’s winning streak has been fueled by balanced contributions. In the win over Ormanspor, Sinem Atas added 11 points, seven rebounds and five assists, while Esra Ural Topuz posted 10 points and eight rebounds.

Panathinaikos will rely on Prince’s interior presence alongside forward Artemis Spanou, who recorded a 15-point, 10-rebound double-double in the last game, and guard Ioanna Krimili, who scored 19 points.

The game is the first of a home-and-home series between the clubs, with the rematch scheduled for Feb. 12 in Mersin.

Tip-off is set for Thursday evening at a venue in Athens.