EUR - Close games as new season tips off

TARGOVISTE (EuroLeague Women) - One top women's league just wrapped up with the Indiana Fever capturing the WNBA title in the United States, and another has just begun in Europe.

The EuroLeague Women got underway on Wednesday night with Galatasaray, Sparta&K Moscow Region Vidnoje, Bourges Basket, Sopron, Beretta Famila Schio, Nadezhda, Perfumerias Avenida and USO Mondeville all getting wins.

Just 23 days ago, Ann Wauters donned a Seattle Storm shirt and Sancho Lyttle wore an Atlanta Dream jersey.

Now, the frontline stars that spearheaded Ros Casares' title run in 2011-12 are on the books off Galatasaray and each had nine points in a 79-48 triumph at Novi Zagreb.

Other than Gala's blowout win, Wednesday was marked by close games.

Seven of the eight contests were decided by seven points or less, and in one, Schio veteran Laura Macchi drilled a three-ball just three seconds from the death for a 76-75 win at EuroLeague Women newcomers Municipal Targoviste.

Targoviste coach George Dikeoulakos, a Greek philosopher if ever there was one, said: "The surgery was a success, but the patient died.

"I believe that the luckier team won, we played well, but we lost."

There will be one more game on Thursday in the EuroLeague Women as Uni Györ host BK IMOS Brno, a team that is sky high after its recent win over Czech rivals ZVVZ USK Prague.

What Wednesday and Thursday night will not have is a Ros Casares in action.

One of the powerhouses in the competition, the Valencia club lost its long-time sponsors after last season's EuroLeague Women and Liga Femenina-double winning campaign.

That means that Valencia, a city that hosted the Final Four in 2010, is no longer home to one of the most famous sides in the sport.

Every year, Ros Casares had a glittering array of superstar talent that competed at La Fonteta.

In addition to Lyttle and Wauters last season was USA Olympic gold-medal winner Maya Moore, Australian basketball icon Lauren Jackson, Spain point guards Laia Palau and Silvia Dominguez.

FIBA