Bonner joins Prague and Tango Bourges take a trophy
PARIS (EuroLeague/EuroCup Women) – The dynamic DeWanna Bonner has arrived at ZVVZ USK Prague and Tango Bourges have also underlined their potential for the EuroLeague Women season by landing silverware.
PARIS (EuroLeague/EuroCup Women) – The dynamic DeWanna Bonner has arrived at ZVVZ USK Prague and Tango Bourges have also underlined their potential for the EuroLeague Women season by landing silverware.
Bonner gives USK Prague an immeasurable lift
She was the standout player of EuroLeague Women 2015-16 before taking maternity leave and now DeWanna Bonner is back. The dynamic forward catapulted Nadezhda to a historic first Final the last time she set foot in the competition and will now breathe life into the prospects of Prague. Especially after they lost the likes of Sonja Petrovic, Kia Vaughn and Laia Palau during the off-season.
Tango Bourges dominant in Match of Champions
There was joy for the new-look Tango Bourges at the LFB Open in Paris when they cruised past ESBVA-LM 71-48 in the showpiece Match of Champions.
They took their first trophy under new head coach Olivier Lafargue thanks to a vibrant showing from Marine Johannes who dropped 17 points and a nice debut from the 12-point and 5-rebound Katherine Plouffe who was named MVP.
Meanwhile in the LFB games that were also played in the French capital, there was an eye-opening start to the era of Lyon Asvel under the leadership at the club of the legendary Tony Parker. They waltzed past Tarbes 74-45 as Marieme Badiane starred with 15 points and 11 boards.
BLMA warmed up for Tuesday’s EuroLeague Women Qualifiers second leg against KSC Szekszard with an 83-73 win against Flammes Carolo Basket, with Giorgia Sottana firing 25 points.
EuroCup Women competitors Basket Landes and Nantes Reze both slumped to defeats. The latter crashed 69-44 against Nice and Landes slipped up 67-53 against Saint-Amand Hainaut, who have only just punched their own ticket to the EuroCup Women Regular Season.
Curtain raised in Russian Premier League
The Russian Premier League is now off and rolling, with defending champions UMMC getting off to a winning start, 65-48 at Kursk behind 15 points and 12 rebound form Raisa Musina. Only it was against the second team of Kursk and not the EuroLeague Women champions.
Dynamo Kursk opened up impressively with a 90-58 victory against Kazanochka as Tatiana Vidmer never missed a shot from the open floor - adding 13 points and 14 rebounds to her name.
Elsewhere, Nadezhda locked down Enisey 59-42 as Alexandria Bentley amassed 21 points on her debut, while MBA Moscow also outlasted Dynamo Novosibirsk 75-69.
Parker gets Wisla Can-Pack rolling
Wisla Can-Pack bounced back from their opening weekend disappointment by winning 92-43 against Widzew Lodz as Cheyenne Parker came alive with 22 points.
Five Sleza Wroclaw players reached double-figures for the reigning champions as they eased past MKK Siedlce 91-65.
Basket 90 Gdynia are into the EuroCup Women Regular season and just 48 hours after playing on Russian soil against Spartak Noginsk, they prevailed 79-62 against AZS-UMCS Lublin, with 16 points and 12 rebounds from Sofija Aleksandravicius.
There was also victory for Artego Bydgoszcz as Julie McBride corralled a majestic 17 points and 13 points as they coasted past Energa Torun 94-64.
Big guns fire in Hungary
There were no real surprises during the opening weekend of the Hungarian League as EuroLeague Women side Sopron Basket soared past BEAC Ujbuda 102-42, with six players sealing double-digit scoring returns. There was also a special honoring of former player Katalin Honti.
KSC Szekszard hope to join them in the EuroLeague Women Regular Season and stormed past MTK Budapest 93-53 as Erica McCall plundered 20 points.
CMB Cargo Uni Gyor were unstoppable on their travels as they raced to a 97-64 success at PINKK Pecsi 424. Miskolc prevailed 89-54 at Vasas Akademia as Fanni Szabo snapped up 21 points. VBW CEKK Cegled conquered PEAC-Pecs 85-65 as Nora Nagy-Bujdoso registered 20 points.
Quinta Dos Lombos win Portuguese SuperCup
There was disappointment for EuroCup Women Regular Season entrants GDESSA Barreiro after they were beaten 73-60 by Quinta dos Lombos in the Final of the Portuguese SuperCup.
Josephine Filipe (Quinta dos Lombos) foi a MVP da Supertaça Feminina, depois de uma exibição inspirada! pic.twitter.com/GnbUOPlX2o
— FPBasquetebol (@fpbasquetebol) September 30, 2017
Josephine Filipe did the damage with 24 points and was crowned MVP, while Marca Costa led the way for the losing side with 15 points.
Elsewhere in Europe
Fenerbahce won a pre-season tournament involving four top-flight Turkish clubs as they beat Bornova Becker 79-65 in the decisive contest.
There was a setback for EuroCup Women rookies Lointek Gernika Bizkaia when they lost 80-73 to Saint Adria at the Liga Femenina opening weekend event in Madrid.
Perfumerias Avenida won 82-58 against Estudiantes as Angelica Robinson garnered 19 points and 9 rebounds. Spar Citylift Girona were carried to a 71-53 victory against Bembibre as Nuria Martinez dished up 7 assists.
Passalacqua Ragusa were shocked on the first weekend of the Italian League as they lost 56-54 at Torino. Ashley Walker scored 13 points for Umana Reyer as they edged past Meccanica Novo Vigarano 58-52, while Beretta Famila Schio had to squeeze past Battipaglia 63-57 off the back of a shared 24 points from Kathrin Ress and Eva Lisec.
FIBA