Preview: Samara Visits Ivanovo in Women’s Basketball Clash

IVANOVO, Russia (Interstat) — Two teams at the bottom of the standings seeking momentum will meet Wednesday when Samara visits Ivanovo in a women’s professional basketball game.

The matchup, organized by the Russia in Russia, pits Samara (11-21) against Ivanovo (9-23). Despite their records, both teams enter on the heels of narrow victories. Samara edged Dynamo Novosibirsk 65-62 on Tuesday, while Ivanovo defeated the same opponent 54-53.

Samara has dominated the recent series, winning the last three meetings. This includes an 82-78 home victory over Ivanovo just five days ago, on April 3. In that game, Samara’s Elena Mikhailova posted 12 points and nine rebounds. The forward is the player to watch for the visitors, averaging a strong 17.8 points and 7.0 rebounds over her last five contests. She is coming off an 18-point, nine-rebound, five-assist performance in Tuesday’s win.

Ivanovo will counter with forward Ekaterina Riabova, who scored 16 points in the loss to Samara last week. Riabova has been inconsistent but impactful, recording a triple-double threat of 18 points, seven rebounds and nine assists in a win on April 1. In Tuesday’s victory, she nearly had a double-double with 12 points and nine rebounds.

For Ivanovo, securing a home win against a team that has recently had its number is a prime opportunity to build confidence. Samara, meanwhile, aims to solidify its slight edge in the standings and complete a quick two-game regular-season sweep of its opponent.

The game is scheduled for Wednesday, April 8, 2026, in Ivanovo.