VITORIA-GASTEIZ, Spain (Interstat) — Araski will seek its first win of the season when it hosts Estudiantes in a women’s professional basketball game on Thursday. Araski enters with a 0-1 record, while Estudiantes is 0-0. Araski will be the home team, and Estudiantes will be the visiting team. The game will be the first meeting of the season between the two clubs.

Estudiantes most recently earned an 82-79 home win over Girona. Kendall Cooper is a player to watch for Estudiantes. In that game, Cooper played 24 minutes and recorded 17 points, eight rebounds and one assist. Her scoring and work on the boards helped Estudiantes close out the win. Cooper gives Estudiantes a strong presence and will be important as the visiting team tries to start the season with a victory.

Araski most recently fell 82-77 at Baxi Ferrol. Aleksandra Stanacev is a player to watch for Araski. She played 33 minutes and finished with 18 points, nine rebounds and nine assists, narrowly missing a triple-double. Julieta Mungo added 12 points, five rebounds and two assists in 27 minutes. Kristina Higgins contributed 10 points, three rebounds and four assists in 27 minutes. Stanacev’s ability to score, rebound and create for teammates makes her central to Araski’s attack, while Mungo and Higgins provide secondary production.

The matchup features teams at different points in the early season. Estudiantes has yet to play a game that counts toward its record, while Araski has already experienced a road loss. Araski will try to use home court to even its mark. Estudiantes will aim to carry momentum from its recent win over Girona into its opener. Both teams will look to establish consistency as the season begins.

Araski’s upcoming schedule includes hosting Mallorca Palma, visiting IDK Gipuzkoa, hosting Zaragoza and visiting Estepona. Estudiantes is scheduled to host IDK Gipuzkoa, visit Innova-TSN, host Mallorca Palma and visit Avenida in its next stretch of games. Those contests will follow Thursday’s meeting and could shape the early positioning for both clubs. The teams will continue their schedules after that matchup, with each club set for several games in the coming weeks.

Estudiantes and Araski will meet in a game that could hinge on backcourt play and rebounding. Stanacev’s versatility gives Araski multiple options, while Cooper’s recent performance shows she can produce efficiently. Araski will need to limit turnovers and convert opportunities at home. Estudiantes will look to maintain the form that produced a narrow win over Girona. The game is expected to be competitive, with both teams looking to establish rhythm early in the season.

Interstat’s game simulator projects Estudiantes to win 74-71.