Preview: Mersin Faces Daunting Task at Undefeated Fenerbahce

ISTANBUL (Interstat) — The Fenerbahce women’s basketball team, boasting a near-perfect record and overwhelming dominance this season, will host a surging Mersin squad on Monday in a Turkey A league matchup.

Fenerbahce (34-1) has established itself as the clear powerhouse of Turkish basketball, with its lone loss coming months ago. It enters the contest on a 14-game winning streak, having dismantled opponents by an average margin of 34.5 points in its last four domestic games. In their most recent outing on March 3, a 95-59 road win over Kayseri, the team displayed its depth with Iliana Rupert (19 points), Nikolina Milic (17 points) and Gabrielle Williams (11 points) leading a balanced attack.

The visiting Mersin team (23-11) presents a sterner test, arriving with momentum from a hard-fought 99-95 road victory over Besiktas on Saturday. Center Esra Ural Topuz was instrumental in that win, posting 18 points and 12 rebounds. She has been in strong form, averaging a double-double over her last two games. Kennedy Burke added 17 points and 10 rebounds in the win, while veteran Alina Iagupova contributed 15 points and six assists.

Recent history heavily favors the Istanbul giants. Fenerbahce has won both head-to-head meetings this season, including a 94-70 rout in Mersin on Feb. 21 and a 90-81 home victory in December. Containing Fenerbahce’s multifaceted offense, which has scored at least 105 points in three of its last ten games, will be Mersin’s primary challenge.

The game is scheduled for Monday, March 23, 2026, at Fenerbahce’s home court in Istanbul. The two teams will meet again in Mersin on Wednesday, March 25, in a quick rematch.