Features 668
Thomas Garlepp wants Ireland to let rip and think big
New Ireland women’s national team head coach Thomas Garlepp was cautious about his goals but open about his ambition in an extensive interview with Emmet Ryan It’s Ireland week on BallinEurope and we’re off to a big start. Ireland will enter November’s EuroBasket Women 2029 pre-qualifiers with a new head coach at the helm. Thomas […]
Caitlin Clark sparks the surge that buries France
An epic surge sparked by a Caitlin Clark buzzer beater gave the USA all they needed to romp past France. Emmet Ryan reflects on a final that looked there for the taking for Gabby Williams and co but, in the end, the Americans claimed the 2026 FIBA Women’s World Cup crown. It was a game […]
Kara Lawson nearly pays for holding Caitlin Clark and USA back
It was more of the same from the USA and that was barely enough. Kara Lawson once more went with her underperforming vets over the impressive trio of Caitlin Clark, Paige Bueckers, and Angel Reese. It nearly cost her team a place in the 2026 FIBA Women’s World Cup final. Emmet Ryan says that, if […]
Gabby Williams and France are coming for the crown
Gabby Williams put on a clinic but it was the sheer depth of France that carried them to the final of the 2026 FIBA Women’s World Cup. Emmet Ryan on how a game Germany just didn’t have enough to cope with an impressively business-like display by the French. Absolute goosebumps. The French, to their credit, […]
Iyana Martin’s World Cup choice is paying off for Spain
Despite sitting the whole of the second quarter, Iyana Martin continued her impressive run at the 2026 FIBA Women’s World Cup. Her decision to delay joining the Portland Fire of the WNBA is proving quite beneficial to Spain as she helped them set up a semi-final showdown with the USA. Iyana Martin made a choice […]
A soaking, a sprint, and a World Cup worth the trouble
The crowd was great, the basketball was fine, the weather was awful. Emmet Ryan on his opening experience going multi-arena at the 2026 FIBA Women’s World Cup and how Spain and Germany shifted his spirits. I had to race from the Max Schmeling Halle to the Uber Arena. It was raining violently, the tram was […]
Why European basketball clubs are rejecting the spending race
Sometimes, the price of the top table is downright distasteful to a basketball club. Ambition doesn’t require excess. Increasingly in recent times, plenty of clubs are saying no thanks to the chance to join the financial arms race in European basketball. In the second part of this series, we asked if European basketball could pay […]
Can European basketball actually pay for itself?
It’s a simple question. Can European basketball actually pay for itself? There’s more revenue but spending has risen too. A sport being richer doesn’t always mean it is healthier. The financial cocktail that makes up any sporting entity in Europe is intriguing. When it’s a sport other than football, you can often add football money […]
Why European basketball’s money race is accelerating
A fool and their money is easily parted. European basketball has never lacked rich owners willing to splash out for no return. What’s different about now is that more and more owners see basketball as an investment with real revenue potential. The first edition of the Sunday column after our summer break sees Emmet Ryan […]
Making sense of Euroleague expansion to 24 teams
Euroleague expansion is imminent but that also means major changes are coming. A conference split and a season overhaul is only the beginning. Emmet Ryan on how, as ever, it’s about growing revenue and not making a mess of it. Christos Stavropoulos seems to have confirmed what everyone is thinking. The Olimpia Milano GM told […]
NBA Finals: Victor Wembanyama has no more time for calm
Once more, the San Antonio Spurs and Victor Wembanyama were too calm. Once more, they fell to a vibrant New York Knicks. Emmet Ryan on a need for raw aggression from the Western Conference champions in the NBA Finals. Here’s the thing about being a Zen master. It’s not about running from emotion, it’s about […]
NBA Finals: Victor Wembanyama must turn calm into chaos
It’s possible to be too calm. That’s something Victor Wembanyama and the San Antonio Spurs need to realise before Game 2 of the NBA Finals. Having lost the opener to the New York Knicks, the Spurs look like they need to change the tempo up a bit, writes Emmet Ryan After winning the Western Conference […]