WABA League

WABA League, commonly known as the Adriatic League also known as the BTravel WABA League for name sponsorship reasons, is a top-level regional basketball league, featuring female teams from Serbia, Montenegro, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Bulgaria, Slovenia and Croatia. Clubs from Austria, Turkey, Hungary, Italy and Macedonia had their representatives in WABA League in past seasons. Since 2012 a Cadet WABA League and since 2014 Pionir WABA League is also played.

WABA League
Current season, competition or edition:
2019–20 WABA League
Official logo of the WABA League
SportBasketball
Founded2001
Inaugural season2001–02
No. of teams12
Country Bosnia and Herzegovina
 Bulgaria
 Croatia
 Montenegro
 Serbia
 Slovenia
ContinentFIBA Europe
Most recent
champion(s)
Budućnost Bemax
(3rd title)
Most titles Šibenik
(5 titles)
Official websitewaba-league.com

History

Formation and early years

WABA League was established in 2001 as EWWL League. In its first season it included six teams from four countries (Austria, Slovenia, Croatia and Bosnia and Herzegovina). After the regular season, it held a tournament in which the three best teams played, which was won by Athlete Celje. Next season the league expanded from six to eight teams, and the final tournament was altered so that the placement included the four top teams. At the final tournament the winner was Željezničar Sarajevo.

Official trophy of WABA League (March 2016)

In 2003 the league changed its name to EWWL Trocal League, which lasted until 2006, and during these seasons the number of teams who played in the league varied from nine to twelve. In the period from 2004 to 2006 it had a representative from Macedonia and then one from Bulgaria in the 2006–07 season. Austrian clubs left the competition in 2004. Since 2003, the competing teams have been from Serbia and Montenegro. In 2006 the league changed its name to WABA NBL which it used till 2008. In 2006 the WABA Cup launched, which existed until 2010, which was attended by participants in the league. The WABA Cup in the year 2007 bore the name Vojko Herskel. In the 2008–09 season the league was named after WABA Multipover; in 2009–10 season, IWBL.

2010's years

In 2010 the league changed to the present name, MŽRKL. The Vojko Herksel Cup was last played. In the 2012–13 season the league included the Hungarian PEAC-Pécs; and the Belgrade Partizan achieved a record in its history, playing 32 matches in the national competitions (regional league, championship and cup) all season without suffering a defeat. In the season of 2013–14 the format of the competition changed. Twelve teams which participated in the league were divided into two groups of six teams. Four first placed teams were placed in the quarterfinals, with the winners to the Final Four.

In season 2015-16 is introduced instead of quarterfinals League 6 in which the first phase in which the two groups are placed by 3 teams. The League 6 transmitted the results achieved against teams from the same group in the first phase they finished the League 6. League 6 plays dual circuit system (one game at home and one away) against teams that have qualified from the opposite group previous stage of the competition. At the Final Four will finish in four best teams in the League 6.

In September 2016, the league officially changed his name to WABA League.[1] In June 2017, the league sign sponsorship contract with tourist agency BTravel and officially changed his name to BTravel WABA League from the sponsorship reasons.[2]

Names in history

  • EWWL League (2001–2003)
  • EWWL Trocal League (2003–2006)
  • WABA NBL (2006–2008)
  • WABA Multipower (2008–2009)
  • IWBL (2009–2010)
  • MŽRKL (2010–2016)
  • WABA League (2016–present)

Logos

Evolution of the Adriatic League logo
2001–2010 2010–2016 2016–2017 2017–2018 2018–present
n/a without a logo n/a

Youth competition

Cadet WABA League

In the season 2012-13, the Cadet League was launched, and since it has shown a lot of success in that period, it has continued to be held.[3] The winner of the first two seasons of cadet WABA League is the team Trešnjevka 2009 from Croatia, when he beat the team of Novi Zagreb[4] and Crvena zvezda.[5] In the third seasonis the champion was the team of Triglav Kranj, Slovenia, which is defeated in the final match of Maribor.[6]

Pionir WABA League

Following the success of cadet league, a decision was made to launch the pioneering leagues.[7] In the first season, the winner of the pioneering league is team Croatia 2006 from Zagreb, Croatia, that won at the team of Jedinstvo Tuzla from Tuzla, Bosnia and Herzegovina.[8]

Finals

Year Host Final Third and fourth place
Winner Score Runner-up Third place Fourth place
2001–02
Details
 Croatia (Šibenik)
Merkur Celje
2:1
Šibenik Jolly JBS

Željezničar Sarajevo
N / A
2002–03
Details
 Bosnia and Herzegovina (Sarajevo)
Željezničar Sarajevo
84:78
Šibenik Jolly JBS

Merkur Celje

Gospić Industrogradnja
2003–04
Details
 Croatia (Gospić)
Gospić Industrogradnja
59:58
Šibenik Jolly JBS

Croatia 2006

Univerziteti Priština
2004–05
Details
 Croatia (Šibenik)
Šibenik Jolly JBS
82:66
Gospić Industrogradnja

Vojvodina NIS

Željezničar Sarajevo
2005–06
Details
 Serbia and Montenegro (Novi Sad)
Šibenik Jolly JBS
68:55
Vojvodina NIS

Merkur Celje

Gospić Croatia Osiguranje
2006–07
Details
 Bulgaria (Sofia)
CSKA Sofia
73:67
Šibenik Jolly JBS

Gospić Croatia Osiguranje

Željezničar Sarajevo
2007–08
Details
 Croatia (Gospić)
Šibenik Jolly JBS
72:66
Gospić Croatia Osiguranje

Ragusa Dubrovnik

Budućnost Podgorica
2008–09
Details
 Montenegro (Bijelo Polje)
Šibenik Jolly JBS
69:63
Jedinstvo Bijelo Polje

Gospić Croatia Osiguranje

Merkur Celje
2009–10
Details
 Croatia (Gospić)
Gospić
73:65
Šibenik Jolly JBS

Merkur Celje

Mladi Krajišnik
2010–11
Details
 Croatia (Šibenik)
Šibenik Jolly JBS
20:0
Gospić

Merkur Celje

Partizan
2011–12
Details
 Bosnia and Herzegovina (Zenica)
Partizan Galenika
74:65
Čelik Zenica

Voždovac

Hemofarm Štada
2012–13
Details
 Serbia (Novi Sad)
Partizan Galenika
70:45
Radivoj Korać

Peac-Pécs

Vojvodina NIS
2013–14
Details
 Montenegro (Podgorica)
Radivoj Korać
87:83
Crvena zvezda

Athlete Celje

Budućnost Volcano
2014–15
Details
 Slovenia (Celje)
Umana Reyer Venezia
69:52
Radivoj Korać

Budućnost Volcano

Athlete Celje
2015–16
Details
 Montenegro (Podgorica)
Budućnost Bemax
74:58
Medveščak

Radivoj Korać

Kvarner
2016–17
Details
 Montenegro (Podgorica)
Athlete Celje
61:57
Beroe

Budućnost Bemax

Montana 2003
2017–18
Details
 Bulgaria (Montana)
Budućnost Bemax
71:68
Cinkarna Celje

Montana 2003

Crvena zvezda
2018–19
Details
 Slovenia (Celje)
Beroe
65:64
Budućnost Bemax

Cinkarna Celje

Crvena zvezda
2019–20
Details
 Bulgaria (Stara Zagora)
Budućnost Bemax
the final four was not played
Cinkarna Celje

Montana 2003

Beroe

Champions

Team Winners Runners-up Years won Years runner-up
Šibenik
5
5
2005, 2006, 2008, 2009, 2011 2002, 2003, 2004, 2007, 2010
Budućnost Podgorica
3
1
2016, 2018, 2020 2019
Gospić
2
3
2004, 2010 2005, 2008, 2011
Athlete Celje
2
2
2002, 2017 2018, 2020
Partizan
2
2012, 2013
Radivoj Korać
1
2
2014 2013, 2015
Beroe
1
1
2019 2017
Željezničar Sarajevo
1
2003
CSKA Sofia
1
2007
Umana Reyer Venezia
1
2015
Vojvodina
1
2006
Jedinstvo Bijelo Polje
1
2009
Čelik Zenica
1
2012
Crvena zvezda
1
2014
Medveščak
1
2016

Notable person's

Former players

 Belarus
 Bosnia and Herzegovina
 Croatia
 Czech Republic
  • Lucie Conkova
 North Macedonia
 
 Montenegro
 Serbia
 
 Slovenia
 United States
 

Former coaches

Awards

Sponsors

Title sponsor
  • BTravel (Croatian tourist agency) (June 2017 - currently)

See also

References

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