Surprises and Highlights from the 2024-25 Korisliiga Season
Looking back at the season
Thought that this was a good time to put some ‘awards’ up for debate, even if the Finals are still to come.
So – few random awards that I have thought about from season 2024-25.
Team of the season
EBT – Espoo Basket Team – Naisten Korisliiga
There are probably few surprised looks on this one, but hear me out before you click away from reading more.
This team could have easily reached the Upper Group after the league was divided into two parts in January. But playing in the Lower Group gave them time to play against slightly easier opponents and get ready for the playoffs.
Knocking down 3rd seed Kouvottaret in playoffs was probably the biggest surprise of the season for me – and not sure many others saw it coming either.
Team does NOT have any imports, so only Finnish players – and also some of their key players are still too young to even drive a car ( Right?? Nicole and Erika are too young for this??).
So to have two players who played at the WU17 World Cup last season, and few WU16 European Champions – it goes to show that with a youthful domestic roster you are still able to compete in the Finnish league and reach the medal games (Bronze medal up for grabs on Friday in Tapiola!).
So yes, a slight surprise for many, but teams like Seagulls, Karhu, ToPo, PeKa .. those are teams that you EXPECT to be in the Finals, and they have not shown anything to me that say they are better than the budget+players they have .. where as EBT have outperformed my expectations.
Team of the year 2024-25 – Espoo Basket Team !!
Fan group of the season
This one I have to put up for public vote ..
Two groups above others – the fans of Salon Vilpas and UU Korihait. And yes, I can hear gasps all the way from Kauhajoki that they are not included in this …. and I understand.
KarhuBasket fans do get the mention of being the most active to travel to away games in big numbers – but this season, Vilpas and Korihait did make more noise and have a little bit more inventive chants and stuff.
Here’s a request for fan groups as well – some good chants for next season would be cool!
The playoff series between Vilpas and Korihait showed even better why these two group have ended here .. the atmosphere in both Pohitulli (and Wintteri) as well as Salohalli, it is the best in the league when it comes to home support.
I really can’t choose between the two groups – so, it is up to you – the public to place your votes underneath!
Rookie of the season
What is the definition of Rookie?? That has been on the lips of many who follow the Korisliiga .. and that also might effect your choice in this category.
But – just for the age and stuff – I am going with SAMU ADLER or Salon Vilpas – the dude is like what 17 or 18 years old and was the top scorer for his team in many playoff games and sank some ice cold daggers and had some absolute monster games during the season.
Luckily us in Finland still get to enjoy Samu on Korisliiga courts next season, after which .. it might be a LOOONNGGG time before he returns to the North to play.
Samu is young – so it is great to see that even at his age he is seeing Korisliiga as the place to develop his skills, where as I am sure he could have headed for prep schools or other in the continent or even the U.S of A.
Surprise of the season
Sweep-offs .. sorry, playoffs
It has really been a surprise that from 12 series (quarter finals and semi-finals in Naisten and Miesten Korisliiga) – in only FOUR series have both teams won a game, so EIGHT series have gone as a sweep.
ToPo-Pyrintö (3-1), Seagulls-Kouvot (3-1), Vilpas-Korihait (3-2) and Kouvottaret-EBT (2-3)
All other series have gone as sweeps 3-0 or 4-0.
NOT what you expect from playoffs – well, not what I expect from playoffs .. so, I put this down as the surprise of the season.
Story (stories) of the Season
Legends ending their careers !
Sign of getting old is when you start to see players you know, finishing their careers.
End of 2024-25 season seems to have a large number of legends calling it a day.
Tuukka Kotti – the man everyone thought would never end his playing career, and would just keep going. Decided that this was enough – and hung up his boots and was wheeled off the court in ‘Kottikärryt’ after his final game. Emotional moment for all involved and all present at the arena that evening.
Antero Lehto – his age might show a biggish number, but he is still young at heart and sometimes acts a lot younger than he is.
So to hear few days after Pyrintö got knocked out the playoffs, that this would be it – I still quite can’t believe it. Even if I think Antero Lehto ending his career, is sort of like when Tyson Fury tells he is retired, you just never quite want to believe it and would not be surprised to see Lehto on court in a years time.
Taru Tuukkanen – real pioneer in the Finnish game, been playing the game longer than 80% of the players in Korisliiga have been alive … career that will take some beating in achievements both in domestic leagues and in National Team.
Her announcement that these were going to be her last playoffs, definitely took the basketball world by surprise few weeks ago. It remains to be seen if her prediction of how her career will end will come to pass … watch out for the end of Game 05 in Naisten Korisliiga Finals next week!!
Also the way that each of these was marked was different, Kotti knew the game he played was the last, as it was regular season and no chance to make the playoffs – so the retirement was properly noted in the game and after the game.
Lehto – more typical way of after the end of his season, taking few days and then through the teams channels we get to hear that he is retiring. So more of the low-key approach here.
Tuukkanen – doing it her own way, by releasing a video on her Instagram and other social media channels to call it a day – probably the most emotional of the announcements. Also a ‘brave’ way to announce it just before the playoffs – now it remains to be seen if she and her team give Taru the dream sending off by winning the title!
