The United States’ women captured the gold medal at an Olympic Games for the fifth time in a row this summer in London
Now, many of those players are excelling with clubs in the EuroLeague Women.
Candace Parker and Diana Taurasi of UMMC Ekaterinburg and Tina Charles of Wisla Can-Pack Krakow are three of America’s Olympic champions and each was in fine fettle on Wednesday.
Parker had 21 points and Taurasi finished with 12 points, five rebounds and four assists as UMMC beat Perfumerias Avenida 94-62.
The game was close for the first seven minutes but after that, the Russian giants stormed to victory.
UMMC out-rebounded the Salamanca outfit, 44-22.
In rolling to a fifth triumph in as many games, Ekaterinburg remained with Galatasaraythe only unbeaten sides in the competition.
After next week, only one will have an unblemished record because UMMC travel to Istanbul to meet Gala.
Ekaterinburg haven’t won the title the past five years despite making the Final Four or, as was the case in 2011-12 the Final Eight, each time.
They look to be well positioned to capture the crown this season, with the Final Eight to be staged in Ekaterinburg in March.
Next week’s clash with Galatasaray, who have a couple of wins by just two points, should be their biggest test of the season.
Charles, meanwhile, will contend for another MVP of the Week award because she had 31 points and 11 rebounds for resurgent Wisla Can-Pack Krakow in a 66-62 win overRivas Ecopolis, the club that lost to Ros Casares in last season’s EuroLeague Women Final.
“Looking at the stats,” Charles said, “I had good numbers.
“But that’s because everyone has a role in this team, and many times my role is to provide those points.”
