Reid and Bibby lighting it up in Hungary and Spain

• Steph Reid is averaging 12.1 points per game
• Chloe Bibby is averaging 46.2% from the field
• Ezi Magbegor back for USK Praha after a break

Australian women dominate basketball leagues year-round, whether in Australia’s WNBL, the WNBA, China’s WCBA, or the many leagues across Europe.

There is no shortage of Australian talent on show, and today, we’re examining how Australian women are faring in Europe.

Europe has many domestic leagues, as well as the EuroLeague and EuroCup, and Australians are making waves in all three formats.

Steph Reid (Sopron, Hungary)

Steph Reid made the decision to head to Europe this season after building and building over the last few WNBL seasons, and she hasn’t looked back.

A constant contributor for Sopron, Reid has again raised her level of play this season, and in her first EuroCup campaign, she’s been playing big minutes (30 minutes per game) and making the most of them. In her EuroCup debut back in October, she recorded 26 points (9-from-14), seven assists and three steals as she led her squad to a grind-it-out win over Bodrum, 86-80. Through 10 EuroCup games, Reid is averaging 12.1 points, six assists, 3.6 rebounds and 1.3 steals per game.

Sopron went 5-1 during the EuroCup regular season. After progressing through the first two rounds of the playoffs, they will now meet French team BLMA in the quarterfinals in late February.

Until then, Reid and her Sopron teammates will focus on maintaining their strong performance in the Hungarian League, where they sit in fifth place with an 11-3 record.

Her signature hard-nosed play has been a revelation. As the starting point guard, she’s been phenomenal at setting the pace while playing within herself and protecting the ball. She’s had more than two turnovers just twice in 13 Hungarian League games.

Chloe Bibby (Spar Girona, Spain)

Just as Reid has been a driving force in Sopron making the EuroCup quarterfinals, Chloe Bibby has done the same for her Spanish team, Spar Girona. After dominating in Poland last season and winning league MVP honours, Bibby was highly sought after and has been everything Spar Girona could’ve hoped for.

Shooting a ridiculously efficient 46.2% from deep across both Spanish League and EuroCup play, Bibby is one of the best shooting bigs in Europe. Her shooting ability makes her a nightmare to defend for opposing bigs, forcing them to come out to the perimeter, which opens up driving lanes for her teammates to operate in. Her almost three assists per game show she’s taking advantage of this and dishing the rock to open teammates.

Perhaps her best performance of the season so far came in a clutch win over PEAC-Pecs, 74-71. Needing everything they could get from Bibby, she delivered in spades with a monster 27 points (6-from-8 3PT FG), six assists, four rebounds and four steals.

Ezi Magbegor (USK Praha, Czech Republic)

Ezi Magbegor returned to USK Praha for the 2024/25 season after starring for the Czech team last season. She wasn’t with the team to start the season, instead taking time away after a crazy 2024, which included that incredible Olympic bronze medal with the Opals.

She played her first game of the season in late November and has started 2025 with a bang in the Czech League, averaging 20 points, 4.5 rebounds, and 2.5 blocks in two games. However, she hasn’t been able to rediscover her tremendous EuroLeague play of last season, when she was a true MVP candidate, averaging just 5.5 points and 4.5 rebounds in the two games of 2025.

While USK Praha is just 8-7 in EuroLeague play, they sit at the top of the Czech League with an unbeaten 15-0 record. After playing just two games in the first half of the season in 2024, a firing Magbegor will be a massive boost for USK Praha in 2025.

Darcee Garbin (UNI Gyor, Hungary)

In her second season in Europe, Darcee Garbin stayed in Hungary but made the move from DVTK to UNI Gyor. Despite going winless in EuroLeague play (0-6), UNI Gyor is third in the Hungarian League with a 12-2 record, and Garbin has been solid all season.

Averaging 11 points, 4.7 rebounds, two assists and two steals per game in the Hungarian League, Garbin has been doing a bit of everything and continues to prove herself as a deadly long-range threat, shooting 40.2% from deep. Her season-high 23 points (six triples) led UNI Gyor to a blowout win, 103-70, against Szekszard (second on the ladder) in early December.

Shyla Heal (Tarsus, Turkey)

In her second season in Europe, Shyla Heal has really found her footing with Turkish team, Tarsus. It was a tough start to the season for Heal as she struggled to finish around the basket and inside the arc. Through her first six games, Heal shot just 28.6% on two-pointers, but after a breakthrough 23-point performance in mid-November, she has been lights out inside the arc, hitting 50% of shots since that game.

Tarsus is sitting third last in the Turkish League with a 5-11 record, but Heal has been a model of consistency, scoring in double figures in all but one game. Averaging 15.8 points, 4.4 assists and 3.1 rebounds, Heal has showcased her game in Turkey and will undoubtedly continue to shine in the season's final stretch.

Marena Whittle (Estudiantes, Spain)

Marena Whittle had a change of scenery halfway through the season as she made the move from Szekszard in Hungary to Estudiantes in Spain, returning to the team she made a name for herself at last season.

Whittle was having a strong season with Szekszard, averaging 14.4 points, 6.3 rebounds, 3.1 assists and 2.4 steals per game in 11 Hungarian League games while also lighting it up during EuroLeague and EuroCup play, but she has been unable to find that groove with Estudiantes since making the move in early December.

A lot of that has to do with her shooting prowess abandoning her. She was on fire from deep for Szekszard but has hit just 23.5% of long-range shots for Estudiantes in eight outings. After losing in the second round of EuroCup, Whittle and her teammates now switch complete focus to the Spanish League, where they sit fifth with a 10-7 record.

Lauren Scherf (Nesibe, Turkey)

Lauren Scherf continues to prove she is a beast on the boards wherever she goes. Playing for Nesibe in Turkey this season, Scherf has been playing big minutes (31 minutes per game) and has been an anchor for her squad defensively.

With such a presence in the paint, Scherf has been working overtime to control the boards, and her play has been a major factor in Nesibe (7-8) sitting sixth in the standings and in a good position for post-season action in a league-loaded with superstars. Averaging 12.2 points, 8.8 rebounds and 2.3 assists per game, she has six double-doubles so far, including a 13-point, 12-rebound (five offensive) effort in Nesibe’s most recent outing, a 75-71 nail-biting win against Kocaeli.

Zitina Aokuso (Ormanspor, Turkey)

In her first season in Europe, Zitina Aokuso found her groove early and has continued to impress in the Turkish League for Ormanspor. She is the team’s equal leading scorer (14.4 points per game) while also its leading rebounder (6.8 per game).

Despite sitting second last with a 5-11 record, Aokuso has been a workhorse on both ends of the court. Most recently, Ormanspor delivered the upset of the season as they scored an impressive 72-59 win over powerhouse Fenerbahce, who entered the match-up undefeated. Aokuso finished the game with an efficient 11 points (5-from-7 FG), five rebounds and two assists.

In mid-December, she recorded a season-high 28 points, seven rebounds and three steals in a hard-fought 77-72 win over Kocaeli. Aokuso’s consistent scoring output has been great to see and a credit to the work she’s put in to become more aggressive and assertive on that end of the court.

As the European leagues head towards the business end of the season, stay tuned to basketball.com.au as we keep you up to date.

About the author

Hayley Wildes is passionate about all things Australian women’s basketball and loves to highlight the stories of players from all levels and competitions across the globe. From our own backyard in the WNBL, to the WNBA and the Opals, and everything in between, Hayley has you covered.