NEWCASTLE (Paul Nilsen’s Women’s Basketball Worldwide) – The curtain has fallen on the latest edition of EuroLeague Women Final Four and here’s my A to Z of what unfolded in Ekaterinburg.

A is for Angel MCoughtry who was crowned MVP as she won the title for the first time in her career – made extra sweet by it coming against her ex-employers.

B is for best, or at least one of the best Final Four games in memory as Dynamo Kursk beat ZVVZ USK Prague in overtime during the Semi-Finals. How good was that 39-point performance from Candice Dupree? One of the best individual efforts in Final Four history. Outstanding!

C is for Candace Parker who is a superb power forward I admire greatly, but Fenerbahce did her no favors by signing her to primarily play the three. The ultimate ‘square peg being fitted into a round hole’.

D is for Dynamo Kursk the newest EuroLeague Women champions and if rumors of recruits for next season are to be believed, they won’t give up their silverware easily!

E is for Epiphanny Prince who was my MVP. She just did a great job at both ends of the floor in the Final, finishing with 18 points, seven assists and four steals.

F is for Fenerbahce who lost their third EuroLeague Women Final and have still not won the title. It remains a painful gap on their otherwise extensive list of honors.

G is for going the entire EuroLeague Women season unbeaten. Something Dynamo Kursk achieved for the first time since the great Sparta&K M.R. Vidnoje side of seven years ago.

H is for history and another first-time champion in the competition – the third in four editions! The unpredictability of the women's game remains one of its biggest assets.

I is for if only Fenerbahce had made the play when they came back from 18 points behind at 62-60 and had an open lay-up to get on level terms - but they missed it. 

J is for June, since that is the next time when many of these top-level players will be in major tournament action again as they step out at FIBA EuroBasket Women 2017.

K is for Kursk of course – a bonafide new powerhouse in women’s basketball now.

L is for love of the women’s game and it is stronger than ever in my heart! The Final Four was a great advert and EuroLeague Women and its unpredictability remains a delight. I felt like this lady.....

M is for Mondelo. Everything the Spanish play-caller touches turns to gold as I have previously written and he really is 'The Basketball Alchemist'!

N is for Nnemkadi Ogwumike who is a champion on both sides of the Atlantic right now!

O is for one day UMMC Ekaterinburg might actually win consecutive titles and defend the silverware successfully.

P is for Palau and an emotional moment when [Laia] the Spanish playmaker ended her legendary career in the competition. The only person to have handed out 1000+ assists in the tournament!

Q is for questioning why UMMC would play Alba Torrens for just nine minutes in the Semi-Finals and not turn to WNBA champion Evgenia Belyakova at all?

R is for remember back on day one of the EuroLeague Women 2016-17 season – who did you have to win the title and make Final Four? How did your predictions pan out?

S is for Sonja Petrovic of ZVVZ USK Prague, who really is something else. It is worth such a lengthy trip just to see her play. It was a pity she limped off with an injury in the Third Place Game.

T is for Turkish basketball who didn't get another EuroLeague Women champion, but did get a massive boost with the displays of Pelin Bilgic.

U is for UMMC who relinquished their title and just got it all wrong in the Semi-Finals. No intensity, they didn't defend the high pick and roll, they didn't shoot well enough, while the rotations and minutes were strange to say the least.

V is for Vidmer and Vadeeva. Without this Russian [not American] duo, Dynamo Kursk would not have won the title. Tatiana Vidmer came up with nine defensive boards, four steals and two blocks in the overtime win against Prague, while Maria Vadeeva shot 73 percent for her 18 points.

W is for when does the EuroLeague Women 2018 season start? I am already counting down the days!

X is for ‘X-Factor’ and the true team spirit combined with depth of Kursk shone through.

Y is for Yekaterinburg as the locals spell it and thank you to host club UMMC and the city for another excellent event!

Z is for ZVVZ USK Prague who played two excellent games and might have won both against the high-class Dynamo Kursk in the Semi-Finals where they lost in overtime and a very close Third-Place Game against UMMC.

Paul Nilsen

FIBA

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