WNBA Stars Shine In EuroLeague Women's Finals


Opening night is less than a month away, preseason games start in just a few weeks, and training camps are about to get started. But before the WNBA action gets underway, some stars had some unfinished business overseas.

Over a dozen WNBA players were in action on Sunday during the FIBA EuroLeague Women’s Finals at Istanbul’s Ulker Arena.

Third Place Game: Fenerbahce 73 – ZVVZ USK Praha 69

First, the third place game. It was the hosts, Fenerbahce, going against the Czech team, ZVVZ USK Praha. Despite playing for just third place in the competition, both sides put forth a spirited effort that resulted in a quite entertaining match. In the end, it was the home side, Fenerbahce pulling out a narrow, 73-69 victory.

Leading the way for the Turkish team was the Chicago Sky’s Allie Quigley. The reigning Sixth Woman of the Year dropped a cool 22 points on 9-16 shooting, including a clutch layup with just under a minute remaining that pushed Fenerbahce’s lead to three. Chipping in for Fenerbahce was LA’s Jantel Lavender (14 points), Seattle’s Quanitra Hollingsworth (10 points, 8 rebounds), and Indiana’s Marissa Coleman (8 points).

The Turkish side was not alone in terms of contributions from WNBA players, however. ZVVZ USK Praha got 17 points and seven rebounds from Washington’s Kia Vaughn. The Phoenix Mercury’s Marta Xargay also played 15 minutes, but did not score.

Watch the full game here:

 

 

Final: UMMC Ekaterinburg 72 – Nadezhda 69

As for the final, it was an all-Russian matchup, as UMMC Ekaterinburg took on Nadezhda for all the gory. After losing in the final last year, UMMC Ekaterinburg was looking for a different outcome this time around, and thanks to the Phoenix Mercury’s Diana Taurasi, that’s just what they got.

For as exciting as the third place game was, the final was even more thrilling. The underdog Nedezhda squad, seeking their first ever Women’s EuroLeague title, lead 56-50 heading into the final frame. But Taurasi stepped up, scoring 11 of her 22 points in the fourth quarter, including a clutch triple with just under two minutes remaining to give Ekaterinburg the lead for good.

The final, and the fourth quarter, was highlighted by a brilliant sequence midway through the frame, in which the teams combined to hit five straight 3-pointers in a 72-second span. Included in that stretch, were two incredibly deep triples from Nadezhda’s DeWanna Bonner, who of course also plays for the Mercury.

WNBA players scored all but two of the 37 points scored in the fourth quarter, and all in all they scored 118 of the 141 points in the game, showing just how vital they are to their European squads.

The Mercury’s Bonner lead all scorers, pouring in 26 points, while also pulling down nine rebounds, for Nedezhda. Also for the runner-ups, the San Antonio Stars’ Kayla McBride scored 20, and the Minnesota Lynx’ Anna Cruz chipped in four points and five assists.

As for the Champions, Ekaterinburg, it was Taurasi leading the way, scoring 22 points, grabbing four rebounds, and handing out four assists on her way to the MVP Award. She also played nearly 39 of the 40 minutes in the game. Taurasi was huge in the fourth, but the Atlanta’s Sancho Lyttle also had a monster game, scoring 18 points and hauling in 12 rebounds. Meanwhile, Taurasi’s teammate on the Mercury, Brittney Griner, scored 12 points and grabbed six rebounds, the Los Angeles Sparks’ Kristi Toliver scored nine points and handed out five assists, and the Washington Mystics’ Emma Meesseman chipped in seven points.

Watch the full game here: