With leagues overseas either in the midst of the playoffs or moving closer to
them, let’s take a look at some of the WNBA stars whose championship hopes are
still alive.
Sylvia Fowles (Minnesota Lynx) vs. Glory Johnson (Dallas Wings)
Sylvia Fowles and Glory Johnson are two of the multitude of WNBA players who
took their talents to China this season, and now their journeys have come to a
head as Fowles leads her Beijing Great Wall against Johnson and the Xinjiang
Tianshan Deers in the semifinals of the CBA playoffs. In Game 1 of their series
on Saturday, Fowles led Beijing to victory with an impressive 30-point,
13-rebound, 4-block performance. On Tuesday, Johnson — who finished Game 1 with
20 points, 9 rebounds, and 3 blocks — and Xinjiang will try to even the series
in Game 2.
Sonja Petrovic, Phoenix Mercury
Last year with the Phoenix Mercury, Sonja Petrovic was a contributor off the
bench, chipping in 5.1 points and 2.2 rebounds over 14.8 minutes per night. But
in Europe, she is certifiably a star. With the group stage of EuroLeague winding
down, Petrovic is second in scoring, third in rebounding, and sixth in
three-point percentage, putting up 17.7 points and 8.5 rebounds a night while
shooting 44.4 percent from outside. The Serbian guard’s strong play has her ZVVZ
USK Praha in second place in Group A, and in strong position to advance to the
knockout stage.
Brittney Griner, Phoenix Mercury
Sticking with Phoenix Mercury players, Brittney Griner has also come on strong
in the EuroLeague this year. Through 12 games of the group stage, she’s led her
Russian squad, UMMC Ekaterinburg, to a 12-1 record, which has them atop Group B
and already safely through to the knockout stage. She’s done it with her
trademark dominant play inside, averaging 16.3 points (4th in EuroLeague) on
60.6 percent shooting (2nd in EuroLeague), 6.3 rebounds, and 2.7 blocks (1st in
EuroLeague) per game.
Elizabeth Williams, Atlanta Dream
The WNBA’s Most Improved Player in 2016, Williams has carried her success with
her to Europe, where she’s been a steady presence for the Russian team Nadezhda
Orenburg. In the team’s first 12 games, she’s averaging 10.2 points, 7.9
rebounds, and 1.9 blocks per game, which is 2nd in EuroLeague. Her play has
helped Nadezhda to a 9-3 record, which has them 2nd in Group B and in prime
position to advance to the knockout stage as they look to avenge their loss last
year in the title game.
