New WABA U17 Season Tips Off with Opening Tournaments

The wait is officially over as the 15th anniversary season of the WABA U17 League gets underway. The region’s most talented young players are back on the court, with the opening stage featuring four simultaneous tournaments hosted in Celje (Slovenia), Trieste (Italy), Konjic (Bosnia and Herzegovina), and Samokov (Bulgaria).

This milestone 2026/27 campaign brings together a massive field of 18 clubs representing 7 different countries, promising one of the most competitive junior seasons in recent history. In an unexpected twist, the reigning champions Janina have not registered for this season, meaning the regional throne is entirely up for grabs.

To accommodate the expanded field of teams, the league has structured the season into two clear phases to ensure high-stakes basketball from start to finish:

• The Regular Season: The 20 participating teams are divided into two single round-robin groups. Group stage games will be played through the end of 2026 to determine the initial standings.
• The Post-Season (January 2027): Based on the group stage results, the field will split into secondary competitive brackets:
  • The Superleague: The top 4 teams from both primary groups will advance to fight for championship positioning and spots in the final phase.
  • Classification Bracket: Teams finishing 5th or lower will compete in a separate placement tier to determine final rankings from 9th to 20th place.
• The Finale: The season will culminate in the spring of 2027 with the high-stakes Final-Four tournament, where the new WABA U17 regional champion will be crowned.

Make sure to follow the official WABA League Schedule for live updates, scores, and complete statistics from all opening games