26 September, 2017
22 April, 2018
7 Alba Torrens | Photo: Ludek Sipla
16/04/2018
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Final Four Profile: UMMC Ekaterinburg

SOPRON (EuroLeague Women) - With only a handful of days remaining until the start of Final Four, we tip-off our team profiles with three-time winners and Russian powerhouse, UMMC Ekaterinburg.

History: One of the juggernauts of the competition, UMMC have three EuroLeague Women titles under their belt. No team has been at the Final Four as many times, although they had to endure a frustrating run between their maiden 2003 triumph and when they climbed back to the top of the podium in 2013. They scooped their third title during 2016 in Istanbul, as they added another trophy to their ever-growing collection of domestic silverware. 

Regular Season Record: UMMC had an unusually roller-coaster Regular Season as they lost some games early and eventually led to a change in head coach from Olaf Lange to Miguel Mendez. They recovered to go 11 and 3, which harvested them second spot in Group B. 

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Quarter-Final Results: It was plain sailing for UMMC, as they produced a dominant performance at home against ZVVZ USK Praha to romp to a commanding 97-70 victory. They completed the job in the Czech capital, Prague, with a 54-73 win, completing a 2-0 series success. 

Key Player: FIBA EuroBasket Women 2017 MVP Alba Torrens has had to step things up for UMMC after the club waved goodbye to the legendary Diana Taurasi. The Spanish ace is playing some of the best basketball since she joined the Russian club and seems to be working well under her compatriot Coach Mendez. If she is running the floor in transition and finds the hot-hand from downtown, she is so tough to stop. 


Why they can win it: Torrens is finding a real chemistry with mid-season arrival Maya Moore and that combination on the wings is looking so dangerous. Both are world class talents. The same can be said of the towering Brittney Griner in the post and Belgian star Emma Meesseman, who work very effectively together in the paint. With Slovenian Nika Baric back from injury in the backcourt to challenge Kristi Toliver for court time and Evgenia Beliakova dropping triples for fun when coming off the bench, UMMC will feel they can finish top of that podium. 

Trivia: Maya Moore won the title during her previous Final appearance in 2012 when she played with Ros Casares under current Sopron Basket coach Roberto Iniguez. She will also go up against Dynamo Kursk play-caller Lucas Mondelo, who she worked with in China at Shanxi, where the pair delivered a glut of titles.

Fast Facts

  • UMMC Ekaterinburg will take part in their 11th Final Four in a row, the best run since the introduction of the Final Four in 1992. It will be their 12th participation at this stage of the season, more than any other team. 
  • UMMC Ekaterinburg have won 11 of their last 12 EuroLeague games, only failing against Fenerbahce in January this year (77—80).
  • UMMC’s Brittney Griner has scored 270 points this season, the second-best tally in the tournament, but has achieved that without attempting a single three-pointer.
  • Griner is also the the leader in blocks with 2.1 per game this season.

 FIBA