Will Dynamo Kursk retain their EuroLeague Women title?
KURSK (EuroLeague Women) – After another unbeaten Regular Season for Dynamo Kursk, we put women's specialist Paul Nilsen on the spot again to ask him whether the reigning champions will defend their EuroLeague Women title.
[PN] To be brave enough to back against a renowned 'women's basketball alchemist' like Lucas Mondelo is somewhere close to the impossible. Yet, I never thought I would utter these words; I am really not that confident Dynamo Kursk will claim back-to-back titles.
It's hard to put my finger on the exact reasons for this. It's a gut feeling as well as any ice-cold analysis. This is also not me being wise after the event. That event being their Russian Premier League obliteration last weekend against Final Four Semi-Final opponents and domestic rivals UMMC. Thankfully, I managed to evidence in a Skype conversation with a FIBA colleague before that eye-popping setback that I had been getting a feeling all is not as smooth as it should be in Kursk.
So why do I have doubts? After all, this is a team which under Coach Mondelo, simply does not lose in EuroLeague Women.
It also has a stack of great talent and I am surely a fool to back against any team that contains last year's MVP Angel McCoughtry, the phenomenal teenager Maria Vadeeva and one of my All-Time favorites in Sonja Petrovic – right?
But, you can't hide from history – even if you do have an array of world class talent on your roster. Clubs just don't defend their titles with any kind of regularity in the modern era of EuroLeague Women. It is not like the old days when consecutive titles was almost expected, with CB Godella, Societa Ginnastica, Bourges and Ruzomberok all managing it between 1992 and 2000. However, in the last 18 years, only Sparta&K M.R. Vidnoje have retained their title – winning four titles in a row between 2007 and 2010, something that may never be repeated.
Secondly, I am not sure everyone fully appreciates the importance of veteran Anna Cruz who has been out injured for quite some time. I don't think Kursk quite look to be the same team without her and it exposes them in a big way, since an injury or foul trouble for Epiphanny Prince and I think you would look wafer thin. I know Kirillova is a shooter who can handle the ball and she was FIBA EuroBasket Women MVP in that very role for Russia - but that was back in 2011. Meanwhile Kseniia Levchenko has just not played enough minutes again.
With the aforementioned McCoughtry and Petrovic on the wings, they are as good as the rest of the competition, perhaps even better. With Nnemkadi Ogwumike, Maria Vadeeva and Helena Ciak under the bucket, I have no concerns either - although Yakin Dogu Universiesi who they could play in the Final look stronger - at least in terms of rotation.
There is a logic that Kursk might be more dangerous and potent for revenge after that massive and rather humbling loss to UMMC. They can also point to the fact they now know what it takes to finish on the top of the podium.So, if Mondelo and Co. do prove me wrong and manage to defend their title and go two seasons unbeaten, I think it would be one of the most magnificent accomplishments in the entire history of this great competition.
FIBA
