WABA U15: Realway Triumphs in Sarajevo City Derby Against Play Off

In a gritty WABA U15 opening weekend, Feniks set a physical tone for their campaign by securing a hard-fought 58-50 victory over Borca Partizan 1953. Meanwhile, the excitement reached a boiling point in the Sarajevo city derby, where Realway claimed local bragging rights with a stellar 68-59 triumph over Play Off.

2026-27 WABA U15 – Group Stage

Week 1, Day 1 (October 2)

Group A – Banja Luka (Obilicevo):

Feniks-Borca Partizan 1953 58-50 (15-10, 17-13, 18-19, 8-8)   FULL STATS

The game’s storyline was Feniks’ absolute control of the boards. The home side completely dominated the boards, out-rebounding Borca Partizan 1953 73 to 47. This included a massive 31 offensive rebounds, allowing Coach Kosic’s squad to control the tempo and limit their opponents’ transition opportunities.

Feniks was propelled by stellar individual performances that anchored the team through tough shooting stretches. Anja Sljivic put on a masterclass in the paint, recording a monster double-double with 15 points and a staggering 17 rebounds (7 offensive), while adding 6 assists to finish with a team-high efficiency rating of 25. Mitra Mandic shared the top-scoring honors with 15 points and dished out 4 assists, making critical plays under pressure. Ivana Njezic was everywhere on the floor, flirting with a historic stat line by contributing 12 points, 15 rebounds, and 4 assists, matching Mandic with a highly impactful +17 plus/minus rating. Coming off the bench, Zara Terzic provided a massive spark for Feniks. Terzic fell just short of a double-double herself, racking up 10 points and 15 rebounds in just under 24 minutes of play, showing incredible efficiency near the basket (5/8 2P).

While the team struggled from the free-throw line (14/30) and the three-point arc (2/20), their defensive intensity and willingness to fight for every loose ball secured the win.

For the visitors, Jovana Milosevic led the resistance with 15 points, and Helena Nasteski flirted with a double-double (7 points, 11 rebounds, 8 assists), but Coach Ivan Spasic’s team struggled against Feniks’ suffocating defense, shooting just 29% from the two-point range and 10% from beyond the arc.

Group A – Sarajevo (Ramiz Salcin)

Realway-Play Off 68-59 (18-14, 13-12, 20-13, 17-20)   FULL STATS

In a highly anticipated local showdown in the WABA League, Realway secured a hard-earned 68-59 victory over their city rivals, Play Off. The Sarajevo city derby delivered intense drama, but Realway held their ground in hostile territory, showcasing incredible depth and resilience under pressure.

As with any intense derby, the early minutes were a feeling-out process, but Realway quickly set the terms. The score was tied only once at 3-3 in the opening minutes. From there, Realway broke away and held the lead for the rest of the contest, fending off every comeback attempt engineered by Play Off’s head coach Enis Cajic.

A defining storyline of the match was the contrasting production within the Play Off roster. Realway’s defensive game plan neutralized the impact of Play Off’s opening lineup, holding their starting five to just 24 points (Mirna Babic 3, Ajna Kadric 12, Sofija Mrdic 9, while Ajla Buturovic and Lamija Comor were held scoreless).

Conversely, the Play Off bench stepped up dramatically, exploding for 35 points to keep the team alive. Nur Mekic spearheaded the second-unit resurgence with a game-high 24 points and 12 rebounds, while Merjem Muratovic added 9 points and Sara Besirevic chipped in 2, but the deficit proved too large to overcome.

Realway relied on brilliant individual performances to anchor their victory. Umma Sukic played all 40 minutes, turning in a spectacular double-double with 22 points, 12 defensive rebounds, and 3 assists to log an efficiency rating of 19. Sumeja Halilovic was nearly unstoppable inside, scoring 20 points on an incredibly efficient 9-of-11 (82%) shooting from two-point range, posting a team-high +18 plus/minus.  Ajsa Veljovic contributed across the board with 11 points, 7 rebounds, and 3 assists. Esma Kuric added double digits as well, finishing with 10 points and 7 rebounds.