Six months after they captured the WNBA title together, the L.A. Sparks’ Nneka
Ogwumike and Candace Parker went head-to-head for another trophy across the
pond.
Parker’s Fenerbahce took on Ogwumike’s Dynamo Kursk in the EuroLeague final on
Sunday in Russia, with both teams aiming to capture the first championship in
their respective club’s histories. In a game full of other WNBA stars, it was
Ogwumike’s team that earned a 77-63 victory to win the title in its first-ever
EuroLeague final appearance.
Angel McCoughtry, who actually played for Fenerbahce from 2011-15, paced Dynamo
Kursk with a game-high 20 points on Sunday and earned MVP honors. Ogwumike added
19 points and 10 boards, while New York’s Epiphanny Prince tallied 18 points and
a game-high seven assists. Parker finished the contest with 18 points, and
Fenerbahce was led by the 19 points of Chicago guard Allie Quigley.
#EuroLeagueWomen champions 😎🎉🏆 pic.twitter.com/WkpgKRgRUC
— EuroLeague Women (@EuroLeagueWomen) April 16, 2017
It has been a historic season for Dynamo Kursk, which finished 18-0 in
EuroLeague play and is 23-1 in Russian League action heading into the
championship series. Ogwumike and McCoughtry both had spectacular campaigns in
the EuroLeague – they finished first in the league in rebounds (10.2 per game)
and third in points (17.3 per game), respectively.
For Ogwumike, this past calendar year couldn’t have gone much better. The 2016
WNBA MVP and champion adds a EuroLeague title to her résumé and has a chance to
win the Russian League title later this month.
Add @EuroLeagueWomen Champion to the growing list of accomplishments for #LASparks forward @Nnemkadi30!
Congrats on the victory! 🏆🏀 👏 pic.twitter.com/mUncYRcPC5
— Los Angeles Sparks (@LASparks) April 16, 2017
To get to the EuroLeague final, Ogwumike’s team defeated a USK Praha side led by
Sonja Petrovic, who spent the 2016 WNBA season in Phoenix. Fenerbahce,
meanwhile, pulled off an upset by taking down Diana Taurasi and defending
champion UMMC Ekaterinburg in the semifinals. UMMC then claimed the bronze with
a victory over USK Praha on Sunday, led by the 16 points and 12 rebounds of
Mystics center Emma Meesseman.
UMMC and Dynamo Kursk are set to meet in the Finals of the Russian League next
week.
