Overseas Competition Update: December 6

Now well into the 2015-2016 season, the EuroLeague table is beginning to take shape as the leaders have started to separate themselves from the rest of the table. And at the top of both groups are two of the more notably strong contenders in UMMC Ekaterinburg and Turkish power Fenerbahce.

But the distance between the top teams is marginal. UMMC sits atop Group B with 11 points, but they’re immediately followed by USK Praha, Nadezdha and Agu Spor with 10 points through six games.

Group A looks nearly identical to Group B with Fenerbahce topping the table with 11 points, followed closely by Dynamo Kursk, Beretta Famila Schio and Galatasaray with 10 points.

Fenerbahce earned the top spot last week after a 64-62 win over Beretta Famila Schio – a game in which Chicago Sky guard Allie Quigley put on a show. Quigley scored 29 points on 11-of-19 shooting. Fellow WNBA stars Jantel Lavender, Marissa Coleman and Quanitra Hollingsworth added a combined 25 points in the win.

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(Courtesy of FIBA/Europe)

UMMC Ekaterinburg suffered a loss at the hands of Agu Spor despite a 21-point performance from Phoenix Mercury center Brittney Griner. Agu Spor helped its cause by holding both Kristi Toliver and WNBA legend Diana Taurasi in check. Toliver was scoreless and Taurasi only managed four points on 1-of-10 shooting.

Marta Xargay, who had an unsung yet successful rookie season with the Mercury in 2015, became the first player in the 2015-2016 EuroLeague season to nab six steals in a game. Xargay swiped six times in USK Prague’s win against Spar CityLift Girona.

EuroLeague action isn’t the only place where WNBA stars are continuing their seasons, though. Liberty center Carolyn Swords is playing in Australia and notched a double-double for the Sydney Uni Flames in the WNBL. Swords scored 15 points and added 13 rebounds.

Seattle Storm frontcourt star Abby Bishop scored 12 points and pulled down eight rebounds for the University of Canberra Capitals, while Renee Montgomery scored 21 points, including a perfect 8-for-8 mark from the charity stripe.

Chicago Sky guard Betnijah Laney continues to impress with the Perth Lynx. The former Rutgers star scored 20 points for the Lynx on 7-of-11 shooting in their recent clash with the Townsville Fire.

Two of the WNBA’s younger frontcourt talents have taken their skills to South Korea and are still shining bright. San Antonio Stars forward Dearica Hamby dropped 20 points, eight rebounds and three assists for the KB Stars in their most recent victory against Hanabank. Hamby is averaging 10.9 points per contest for the Stars.

And Liberty center Kiah Stokes continues to add to her impressive resume as a shot blocker. Stokes leads the league in blocks per game, averaging two swats per contest. She’s also seventh in the league in rebounding per game.

Other notables: Shekinna Stricklen leads the WKBL in scoring at 19.8 points per game. Stricklen recently scored 25 points and hauled in 11 rebounds for Woori Hansae. Liberty forward Tina Charles is averaging 26.8 points and 10.9 rebounds per game with Xinjiang in the Women’s Chinese Basketball Association. WNBA Finals MVP Sylvia Fowles is fifth in the league in scoring at 19.5 points and 11.5 rebounds per game.