MVP Ladder December edition: Major moves for McBride, Copper and Gruda

MUNICH (Germany) - The third MVP Ladder of the EuroLeague Women Regular Season has landed and there's plenty of movement right through from one to ten.

Here's how the list looks after eight games of the campaign and with just two more before the mid-season break as we make the turn into 2022.

1. Jonquel Jones - UMMC Ekaterinburg (+2)

CENTER

Average Stats: 16.7 PPG; 9.0 RPG; 2.7 APG; 1.3 BPG; 22.5 EFF

Jones has been the name on the lips of most women's hoops fans during these past weeks and months because of her amazing exploits for club and country, so she moves up a couple of places to the top of the ladder and it could take something special to dislodge her. While she was quiet in her last game against TTT Riga, that came off the back of four double-doubles in a row, including that 27-point super show against Avenida. She's got the joint-best efficiency rating in the competition and is looking like Regular Season MVP in waiting.

2. Kayla McBride - Fenerbahce Safiport (+6)

SHOOTING GUARD

Average Stats: 21.1 PPG; 4.5 RPG; 2.6 APG; 21.0 EFF

The 'biggest riser on the ladder' award deservedly goes to McBride, with the Fenerbahce Safiport guard a consistent performer during what has been an unusually roller-coaster campaign for her team. The only baller averaging more than 20 points per game in the competition, she has scored more than 25 points in three of her last five outings. Much of the best work carried out by Fenerbahce comes with McBride on the court. She not only has the scoring touch, but puts in a weight of work in other areas and for example, had 10 boards against Dynamo Kursk a couple of games ago.

3. Kahleah Copper - Perfumerias Avenida (new)

GUARD/FORWARD 

Average Stats: 31.3 PPG; 4.7 RPG; 2.7 APG; 2.3 SPG; 31.3 EFF 

The highest new entry on the ladder comes from a player who is breathing fire right now for Avenida. While she may have started the season late, due to the short period of rest given in the wake of her WNBA title and Final MVP successes, she has lived up to the billing in a big way. During her three games to date, Copper erupted offensively with 25-, 34- and 33-point displays, respectively. Her latest two offerings saw her become the only player so far this season to score more than 30 points in different games. With her contributions to the team going beyond her scoring power, is she the main threat to ladder leader, Jonquel Jones?

4. Alyssa Thomas - ZVVZ USK Praha (+2)

FORWARD

Average Stats: 13.7 PPG; 9.3 RPG; 6.5 APG; 2.2 SPG; 21.2 EFF 

Five wins in six games (with only a 2-point loss at defending champions UMMC) for ZVVZ USK Praha has coincided with Thomas shifting up through the gears. That is no coincidence. She's finding the kind of form that has continually defined her amazing production in the competition. Her do-it-all productivity is so impressive, with Thomas fourth in efficiency, third in rebounding and perhaps most impressively, the co-leader in assists with 6.5 per game. A tour de force for Praha, there's probably even more to come from the versatile forward if previous seasons are anything to go by.

5. Sandrine Gruda - Beretta Famila Schio (+4)

CENTER

Average Stats: 14.1 PPG; 9.6 RPG; 2.8 APG; 20.2 EFF

It's fitting that Gruda moves up into the top five places after a high-profile few weeks which has underlined her class, experience and most importantly, her status as a EuroLeague Women legend. She has carried Schio to four victories in a row with some towering performances, collecting the November MVP award in the process. Gruda also then climbed past Diana Taurasi as the second-leading scorer of the modern era in the EuroLeague Women, having previously become the third-leading rebounder.

6. Tina Krajisnik - Galatasaray (-5)

CENTER 

Average Stats: 16.9 PPG; 8.5 RPG; 2.5 APG; 20.5 EFF 

7. Natasha Howard - Dynamo Kursk (-5)

POWER FORWARD

Average Stats: 16.1 PPG; 50.9% FG; 9.4 RPG; 2.0 APG; 18.9 EFF

8. Bernadett Hatar - Sopron Basket (-4)

CENTER 

Average Stats: 12.9 PPG; 60.5% FG; 8.9 RPG; 18.4 EFF 

9. Brionna Jones - ZVVZ USK Praha (new)

CENTER 

Average Stats: 19.0 PPG; 8.0 RPG; 22.5 EFF 

10. Kennedy Burke - Spar Girona (-3)

GUARD

Average Stats: 19.5 PPG; 6.0 RPG; 17.9 EFF 

Disclaimer: The MVP Ladder, compiled by a panel of experts, is entirely subjective and is in no way a true, accurate ranking system. The ranking and all comments are purely those of the author and do not reflect the view of FIBA.

FIBA