Toliver takes Mystics on unbeaten start, Moore enters unknown territory

MUNICH (EuroLeague Women) – With two weeks of the WNBA season in the bag, it is Kristi Toliver and the Washington Mystics leading the pack, capturing a major scalp along the way.

The UMMC Ekaterinburg and Slovakia national team player is averaging 14 points through the first four games of the Mystics' campaign, but it was her performance on May 27 that created the biggest stir. Playing host to defending champions, the Minnesota Lynx, Toliver scored a game-high 19 points in a 90-78 victory, relegating the Lynx to a 2-2 start.

For her UMMC Ekaterinburg teammate and Lynx star, Maya Moore, it is certainly no need to hit the panic button, but for a player who is unfamiliar with the concept of losing, it is hardly the beginning to the season that Moore and the Minnesotans would have envisioned.

At 3-0, Connecticut Sun are the only other undefeated side following the first fortnight of action. Contributing well off the bench for the Sun is Nadezhda's Alex Bentley with a 12-point average. Her EuroLeague Women teammate, Brionna Jones has thus far had a limited role to play for the undefeated side.

The only other two teams with a positive win/loss record at this early stage are Seattle Storm and Los Angeles Sparks. Nnemkadi Ogwumike is dropping 20.3 points a night for the LA Sparks, as her Dynamo Kursk teammate, Maria Vadeeva bides her time and awaits her first minutes stateside.

Their week was rounded out by a promising 80-72 home court win over Diana Taurasi, Brittney Griner and the Phoenix Mercury, as they welcomed the return of Candace Parker. Jantel Lavender is expected to join the team soon, following her long season with Yakin Dogu Universitesi who went down in the Turkish league finals.

Former Galatasaray player Jewell Loyd is leading the way up north in Seattle, but there have also been significant contributions from CCC Polkowice standout Alysha Clark, along with Hatay center Courtney Paris. Clark logged 28 minutes on a historic Sunday night, as the WNBA traveled to Las Vegas, for the Aces' first-ever home game.

On the historic night, it was the Storm walking away with the 105-98 win. The Aces, who relocated from San Antonio, have endured a tough start to the season, with a forgettable 0-3 record. However, they will be spurred by their competitiveness, despite the loss and are expected to only get better in games to come. That will be achieved as Kelsey Plum and Kayla McBride settle into the new systems - both only arriving days before the Seattle game, after clashing in the Turkish League Finals, for Fenerbahce and Yakin Dogu Universitesi respectively.

FIBA