Overseas Report: Chinese League, EuroLeague Enter Playoffs as Fowles, Moore and Others Heat Up


For many players, basketball season doesn’t end once the final buzzer sounds in the WNBA. Here are some of the top recent performers during international play (click here to see the full list of WNBA players overseas).

Chinese League Playoffs

Jonquel Jones – Connecticut Sun

As the Women’s Chinese Basketball Association’s playoffs are in full swing, Jones and her team, Shanxi, have been firing on all cylinders lately. Having not lost a game in over a month, Shanxi just completed the three-game sweep in the league semifinals vs. Guangdong. In the series-closing third game, Jonquel Jones filled the stat sheet per usual, tallying 31 points, 14 rebounds and three steals en route to a 78-69 win. Up next is the highly anticipated finals matchup against division foe Beijing and fellow WNBA star Sylvia Fowles beginning on March 10th.

Sylvia Fowles – Minnesota Lynx

The reigning WNBA MVP has been an unstoppable force for her Women’s Chinese Basketball Association team, Beijing. Having won the regular season title with a 21-5 overall record, Beijing has kept things grooving throughout its playoff run. Like Jones’ Shanxi team, Fowles has led the charge for her squad, which has not surrendered a loss in more than a month. Fresh off a semifinal sweep over Shanghai, Fowles posted 19 points, 14 rebounds and two assists in the series-clinching victory. A finals showdown against Jonquel Jones and her team for the WCBA crown will be must-watch action.

EuroLeague Playoffs

Maya Moore – Minnesota Lynx

Russian powerhouse UMMC added another WNBA star in Moore for the remainder of the season, as fellow WNBA legend Diana Taurasi left the team to come back to the states a few games ago. Moore joins a squad already loaded with great talent in Brittney Griner, Emma Meesseman and Kristi Toliver, and has fit in right away in her first two games. She has averaged 22 points and 7.5 rebounds per game with UMMC, and in the latest 97-70 win, she totaled 29 points and seven boards.

Courtney Vandersloot– Chicago Sky

As many of the WNBA faithful already know, Vandersloot is a magician dishing out the ball to her teammates. Last season, Vandersloot set the WNBA record for assists average (8.1), and she’s brought that same pass-first mentality to her season overseas in Turkey with Yakin Dogu. So far this season, the Chicago Sky product has averaged 13.6 points and 8.6 assists per game. Vandersloot’s most recent performance earned her a Player of the Week honor in the EuroLeague as she posted 17 points and 13 assists.

Kayla McBride – Las Vegas Aces

The backcourt of McBride and Vandersloot has been a huge reason for Yakin Dogu’s team success in the Turkish Women’s Basketball League this season. Kayla McBride has led the team in scoring (15.5 points per game) while shooting at a 51% clip on the year. In the team’s last three games, McBride has shot 55% (10-18) from behind the arc, as the 25-year old has enjoyed a very productive shooting season in Turkey. With four games still to play in the month of March, McBride will look to stay hot against upcoming opponents.