2018–19 Liga Națională (women's basketball)
# 2018–19 Liga Națională (women's basketball)

The 2018–19 Liga Națională season is the 69th season of the Liga Națională, the highest professional basketball league in Romania. Sepsi SIC is the defending champion.

## Competition format

The Romanian Basketball Federation agreed a change in the competition format for the 2018–19 season:

* 13 teams (divided into 2 value groups: A and B) played the regular season, consisting in a double-legged round robin format.
   * Group A consist of the top 6 ranked teams from the 2017–18 Liga Națională.
   * Group B consist of the 9th place from the 2017–18 Liga Națională and top 6 ranked teams from the 2017–18 Liga I.
* At the end of the regular season, teams are split into four groups (Red, Yellow, Blue and Green).
   * Red Group consist of the Group A teams and the winner of the Group B.
   * Yellow Group consist of the other teams from Group B, ranked 2–7.
* All teams from the Red Group (from 1st to 7th place) and the winner of the Yellow Group will join the play-offs. In this knockout stage, quarterfinals and semifinals will be played with a best-of-five-games format.
   * To decide the teams ranked between 5th and 8th place will be used the best-of-three-games format.
   * The rest of the teams from the Yellow, Blue and Green Groups (16 teams) will form 2 groups of 8 teams and will play to decide the final rankings.
* Liga I was dissolved, so no team will relegate.

## Team changes

### Excluded teams

SCM Timișoara withdrew due to financial problems.

CSU Alba Iulia withdrew due to organizational problems.

### Renamed teams

BC Sirius was moved to the sports club of Municipality of Târgu Mureș and was renamed as CSM Târgu Mureș.

CSBT Alexandria was moved to the sports club of Municipality of Alexandria and was renamed as CSM Alexandria.

## Teams

### Group A

| Team | City | Arena | Capacity |
| - | - | - | - |
| CSM | Satu Mare | Ecaterina Both Arena | 400 |
| CSM | Târgoviște | Sala Sporturilor | 2,000 |
| ICIM | Arad | Victoria Sports Hall | 1,500 |
| Olimpia CSU | Brașov | D.P. Colibași | 1,700 |
| Sepsi SIC | Sfântu Gheorghe | Arena Sepsi | 3,000 |
| Universitatea | Cluj Napoca | Polyvalent Hall / Horia Demian | 7,308 / 2,525 |

### Group B

| Team | City | Arena | Capacity |
| - | - | - | - |
| CSM | Alexandria | Dimitrie Ghica | 900 |
| Agronomia | București | Arena de Baschet | 350 |
| CSM | Târgu Mureș | Sala Sporturilor | 2,000 |
| KSE | Târgu Secuiesc | Sala Sporturilor | 200 |
| Phoenix | Constanța | Sala Sporturilor | 1,500 |
| Rapid | București | Rapid | 1,500 |
| U CSM | Oradea | Arena Antonio Alexe | 2,000 |

## Regular season

### Group A

| Pos | Team | Pld | W | L | PF | PA | PD | Pts | Qualification |
| - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - |
| 1 | Sepsi SIC | 10 | 10 | 0 | 835 | 618 | +217 | 18 | Qualification to Red Group |
| 2 | Satu Mare | 10 | 7 | 3 | 710 | 642 | +68 | 17 | Qualification to Red Group |
| 3 | Olimpia Brașov | 10 | 5 | 5 | 752 | 818 | −66 | 15 | Qualification to Red Group |
| 4 | ICIM Arad | 10 | 4 | 6 | 673 | 677 | −4 | 14 | Qualification to Red Group |
| 5 | Târgoviște | 10 | 4 | 6 | 698 | 747 | −49 | 14 | Qualification to Red Group |
| 6 | Universitatea Cluj | 10 | 0 | 10 | 604 | 770 | −166 | 10 | Qualification to Red Group |

* ↑ Sepsi SIC were deducted 2 points because it did not participate in enough 3x3 basketball tournaments.

**Results**

| Home \ Away | ARD | OLI | STM | SIC | TGV | UCJ |
| - | - | - | - | - | - | - |
| ICIM Arad | — | 85–73 | 52–66 | 58–68 | 78–65 | 66–49 |
| Olimpia Brașov | 87–76 | — | 80–74 | 71–84 | 72–91 | 84–70 |
| Satu Mare | 74–59 | 91–56 | — | 60–64 | 76–62 | 85–65 |
| Sepsi SIC | 68–58 | 96–57 | 93–54 | — | 101–69 | 77–56 |
| Târgoviște | 71–63 | 80–92 | 57–60 | 70–87 | — | 60–51 |
| Universitatea Cluj | 56–78 | 71–80 | 54–70 | 65–97 | 67–73 | — |

### Group B

| Pos | Team | Pld | W | L | PF | PA | PD | Pts | Qualification |
| - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - |
| 1 | Phoenix Constanța | 12 | 11 | 1 | 828 | 597 | +231 | 22 | Qualification to Red Group |
| 2 | Oradea | 12 | 9 | 3 | 724 | 639 | +85 | 20 | Qualification to Yellow Group |
| 3 | Rapid București | 12 | 7 | 5 | 785 | 738 | +47 | 19 | Qualification to Yellow Group |
| 4 | Târgu Mureș | 12 | 7 | 5 | 743 | 767 | −24 | 19 | Qualification to Yellow Group |
| 5 | KSE Târgu Secuiesc | 12 | 4 | 8 | 715 | 731 | −16 | 16 | Qualification to Yellow Group |
| 6 | Alexandria | 12 | 2 | 10 | 615 | 772 | −157 | 14 | Qualification to Yellow Group |
| 7 | Agronomia București | 12 | 2 | 10 | 688 | 854 | −166 | 14 | Qualification to Yellow Group |

* ↑ Phoenix Constanța was deducted 1 point because it did not participate in enough 3x3 basketball tournaments.
* ↑ Oradea was deducted 1 point because it did not participate in enough 3x3 basketball tournaments.

**Results**

| Home \ Away | AGR | ALX | KSE | ORA | PHX | RAP | TGM |
| - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - |
| Agronomia București | — | 61–58 | 50–66 | 55–81 | 68–75 | 60–59 | 55–77 |
| Alexandria | 72–65 | — | 61–50 | 62–77 | 50–74 | 52–77 | 49–57 |
| KSE Târgu Secuiesc | 70–53 | 64–41 | — | 82–57 | 42–69 | 63–74 | 73–75 |
| Oradea | 73–43 | 61–40 | 57–46 | — | 43–77 | 70–73 | 58–53 |
| Phoenix Constanța | 73–55 | 66–53 | 71–53 | 0–20 | — | 73–57 | 73–61 |
| Rapid București | 73–59 | 61–43 | 59–49 | 63–65 | 52–84 | — | 68–74 |
| Târgu Mureș | 77–64 | 59–46 | 64–57 | 45–62 | 55–93 | 46–69 | — |

## Second stage

### Red Group

| Pos | Team | Pld | W | L | PF | PA | PD | Pts | Qualification |
| - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - |
| 1 | Sepsi SIC | 22 | 21 | 1 | 1860 | 1291 | +569 | 41 | Qualification to Play-offs |
| 2 | Satu Mare | 22 | 16 | 6 | 1682 | 1385 | +297 | 38 | Qualification to Play-offs |
| 3 | Olimpia Brașov | 22 | 10 | 12 | 1570 | 1719 | −149 | 32 | Qualification to Play-offs |
| 4 | ICIM Arad | 22 | 9 | 13 | 1490 | 1509 | −19 | 31 | Qualification to Play-offs |
| 5 | Târgoviște | 22 | 9 | 13 | 1414 | 1572 | −158 | 31 | Qualification to Play-offs |
| 6 | Phoenix Constanța | 24 | 14 | 10 | 1546 | 1459 | +87 | 26 | Qualification to Play-offs |
| 7 | Universitatea Cluj | 22 | 4 | 18 | 1376 | 1772 | −396 | 26 | Qualification to Play-offs |

* ↑ Sepsi SIC were deducted 2 points because it did not participate in enough 3x3 basketball tournaments.
* ↑ Phoenix Constanța was deducted 1 point and also entered in the Red Group only with half of the points won in the Group B.

**Results**

| Home \ Away | ARD | OLI | PHX | STM | SIC | TGV | UCJ |
| - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - |
| ICIM Arad | — | 72–82 | 75–48 | 70–65 | 54–92 | 61–64 | 88–62 |
| Olimpia Brașov | 53–70 | — | 74–60 | 49–94 | 53–91 | 75–59 | 88–72 |
| Phoenix Constanța | 71–63 | 57–72 | — | 52–70 | 41–81 | 43–58 | 72–53 |
| Satu Mare | 78–62 | 90–79 | 98–70 | — | 76–51 | 82–41 | 105–41 |
| Sepsi SIC | 91–62 | 87–58 | 82–60 | 82–58 | — | 90–54 | 104–54 |
| Târgoviște | 52–70 | 69–61 | 50–63 | 78–74 | 49–78 | — | 87–71 |
| Universitatea Cluj | 74–70 | 80–74 | 86–81 | 68–82 | 54–96 | 57–55 | — |

### Yellow Group

| Pos | Team | Pld | W | L | PF | PA | PD | Pts | Qualification |
| - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - |
| 1 | Târgu Mureș | 22 | 14 | 8 | 1426 | 1341 | +85 | 36 | Qualification to Play-out |
| 2 | Oradea | 22 | 11 | 11 | 1236 | 1325 | −89 | 32 | Qualification to Play-offs |
| 3 | Rapid București | 22 | 14 | 8 | 1501 | 1371 | +130 | 31 | Qualification to Play-out |
| 4 | Alexandria | 22 | 6 | 16 | 1194 | 1372 | −178 | 28 | Qualification to Play-out |
| 5 | Agronomia București | 22 | 6 | 16 | 1307 | 1480 | −173 | 28 | Qualification to Play-out |
| 6 | KSE Târgu Secuiesc | 22 | 10 | 12 | 1341 | 1347 | −6 | 27 | Qualification to Play-out |

* ↑ Târgu Mureș was ineligible to qualify for the play-offs being a team new founded.
* ↑ Oradea was deducted 1 point because it did not participate in enough 3x3 basketball tournaments.
* ↑ Rapid București were deducted 5 points due to youth squads irregulations.
* ↑ KSE Târgu Secuiesc were deducted 5 points due to youth squads irregulations.

**Results**

| Home \ Away | AGR | ALX | KSE | ORA | RAP | TGM |
| - | - | - | - | - | - | - |
| Agronomia București | — | 50–47 | 83–64 | 76–82 | 60–69 | 59–64 |
| Alexandria | 60–54 | — | 65–63 | 70–43 | 69–77 | 53–42 |
| KSE Târgu Secuiesc | 59–43 | 69–53 | — | 60–44 | 48–82 | 75–61 |
| Oradea | 43–69 | 65–54 | 44–67 | — | 42–61 | 33–70 |
| Rapid București | 64–66 | 68–63 | 69–75 | 84–54 | — | 50–68 |
| Târgu Mureș | 74–59 | 69–45 | 72–46 | 75–62 | 88–92 | — |

## Play-offs

All series were played in a best-of-five games format, excluding the third place match.

### Bracket

| Quarter-finals | Quarter-finals | Quarter-finals | Quarter-finals | Quarter-finals | Quarter-finals | Semi-finals | Semi-finals | Semi-finals | Semi-finals | Semi-finals | Semi-finals | Final | Final | Final | Final | Final | Final |
| - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - |
| ICIM Arad | ICIM Arad | ICIM Arad | 65 | 56 | 64 | | | | | | |
| Târgoviște | Târgoviște | Târgoviște | 61 | 37 | 51 | | | | | | |
| Târgoviște | Târgoviște | Târgoviște | 61 | 37 | 51 | Satu Mare | Satu Mare | Satu Mare | 77 | 75 | 86 |
| | | | | | | Olimpia Brașov | Olimpia Brașov | Olimpia Brașov | 59 | 58 | 68 |
| Satu Mare | Satu Mare | Satu Mare | 72 | 72 | 74 | Olimpia Brașov | Olimpia Brașov | Olimpia Brașov | 59 | 58 | 68 |
| Universitatea Cluj | Universitatea Cluj | Universitatea Cluj | 58 | 54 | 53 | | | | | | | | | | | | |
| Universitatea Cluj | Universitatea Cluj | Universitatea Cluj | 58 | 54 | 53 | | | | | | | Sepsi SIC | 66 | 57 | 47 | 56 | 59 |
| | | | | | | | | | | | | Satu Mare | 54 | 49 | 52 | 59 | 56 |
| Sepsi SIC | Sepsi SIC | Sepsi SIC | 130 | 106 | 116 | | | | | | | Satu Mare | 54 | 49 | 52 | 59 | 56 |
| Oradea | Oradea | Oradea | 36 | 29 | 28 | | | | | | | | | | | | |
| Oradea | Oradea | Oradea | 36 | 29 | 28 | Sepsi SIC | Sepsi SIC | Sepsi SIC | 91 | 85 | 83 | | | | | | |
| | | | | | | ICIM Arad | ICIM Arad | ICIM Arad | 64 | 68 | 46 | Third place | Third place | Third place | Third place | Third place | Third place |
| Olimpia Brașov | Olimpia Brașov | 69 | 73 | 65 | 76 | ICIM Arad | ICIM Arad | ICIM Arad | 64 | 68 | 46 | Third place | Third place | Third place | Third place | Third place | Third place |
| Phoenix Constanța | Phoenix Constanța | 72 | 59 | 56 | 64 | | | | | | | | | | | | |
| Phoenix Constanța | Phoenix Constanța | 72 | 59 | 56 | 64 | | | | | | | Olimpia Brașov | Olimpia Brașov | Olimpia Brașov | Olimpia Brașov | 75 | 69 |
| | | | | | | | | | | | | ICIM Arad | ICIM Arad | ICIM Arad | ICIM Arad | 83 | 84 |

### 5th to 8th

All series were played in a best-of-three games format.

| Semi-finals | Semi-finals | Semi-finals | Semi-finals | Final | Final | Final | Final |
| - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - |
| Phoenix Constanța | Phoenix Constanța | 51 | 50 |
| Universitatea Cluj | Universitatea Cluj | 63 | 70 | | | | |
| Universitatea Cluj | Universitatea Cluj | 63 | 70 | Târgoviște | Târgoviște | 68 | 81 |
| | | | | Universitatea Cluj | Universitatea Cluj | 50 | 68 |
| Târgoviște | Târgoviște | 84 | 74 | Universitatea Cluj | Universitatea Cluj | 50 | 68 |
| Oradea | Oradea | 27 | 30 | | | | |
| Oradea | Oradea | 27 | 30 | Third place | Third place | Third place | Third place |
| | | | | Phoenix Constanța | Phoenix Constanța | 60 | 71 |
| | | | | Oradea | Oradea | 50 | 46 |

## 9th to 13th

| Pos | Team | Pld | W | L | PF | PA | PD | Pts |
| - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - |
| 9 | Târgu Mureș | 4 | 3 | 1 | 284 | 222 | +62 | 7 |
| 10 | Rapid București | 4 | 3 | 1 | 286 | 246 | +40 | 7 |
| 11 | Agronomia București | 4 | 2 | 2 | 243 | 236 | +7 | 6 |
| 12 | KSE Târgu Secuiesc | 4 | 1 | 3 | 225 | 288 | −63 | 5 |
| 13 | Alexandria | 4 | 1 | 3 | 243 | 289 | −46 | 5 |

## Final rankings

| | Team |
| - | - |
| 1 | Sepsi SIC |
| 2 | Satu Mare |
| 3 | ICIM Arad |
| 4 | Olimpia Brașov |
| 5 | Târgoviște |
| 6 | Universitatea Cluj-Napoca |
| 7 | Phoenix Constanța |
| 8 | Oradea |
| 9 | Târgu Mureș |
| 10 | Rapid București |
| 11 | Agronomia București |
| 12 | KSE Târgu Secuiesc |
| 13 | Alexandria |
