EuroCup Begins
While there are a number of U.S. athletes among the 48 EuroCup teams this season, including several with recent ties to USA Basketball, most notably 2020 Olympic gold medalist Ariel Atkins (BC Prometey) and 2017-21 USA National Team member Kelsey Mitchell (Neve David Ramla). Each week usab.com will highlight top achievements from Americans in the EuroCup.

Top U.S. Performers
The EuroLeague and EuroCup seasons are still in its early stages, but several American players who already have migrated back to Europe put up impressive numbers this week.

• Atkins’s 26-point game, on 6-of-13 shooting from 3-point, helped lead BC Promety to victory.
• Kalani Brown scored 37 points, the highest single-game output in the EuroCup this week, and Aaryn Ellenberg tallied 30 to aid Hatayspor to a 24-point win.
• Natasha Howard had her second double-double in as many games with 17 points and 11 boards for Dynamo Kursk.
• Mitchell scored 26 points in her 2021-22 EuroCup debut for Neve David Ramla.

2021-22 EuroLeague Regular Season Standings & Weekly Recaps

Dynamo Kursk 78, Galatasaray 76
In a tight game throughout, Howard hit a jumper with four seconds remaining to break a 76-all tie and give Dynamo Kursk (2-0) the 78-76 victory over Galatasaray (0-2). In a game in which neither team held more than a six-point lead and with 15 tied scores, Kursk’s winning effort was fueled by a double-double of 17 points and 11 rebounds from Howard. Serbian Tina Krajisnik scored a game-high 26 points in Gala’s loss.

ZVVZ USK Prague 79, MBA Moscow 54
ZVVZ USK Prague (1-1) sprinted to a 44-22 halftime lead and continued to lead throughout the second half for a 79-54 victory over EuroLeague newcomer MBA Moscow (0-2). Spain’s Maria Conde paced Prague with 18 points.

BLMA 72, KSC Szekszard 65
Holding a two-point edge heading into the fourth quarter, BLMA (2-0) outscored KSC Szekszard 19-14 in the fourth quarter for the 72-65 victory. Haley Peters, who played for the USA in the 2021 FIBA 3x3 Women’s Series, scored a team-high 18 points on 7-of-13 shooting from the field in the win.

Sopron Basket 86, VBW Arka Gdynia 71
Sopron Basket (2-0) had five players score in double figures in an 86-71 victory over VBW Arka Gdynia (0-2), including 18 points apiece from Hungary’s Bernedette Hatar and Serbia’s Nevena Jovanovic. Gabby Williams, who plays for France and the Los Angeles Sparks, tallied eight points, five rebounds, five assists and three steals for Sopron. Ireland’s Alice Kunek notched 23 points for Gdynia.

Basket Landes 70, Fenerbahce Safiport 65
Holding a 50-49 lead at the end of the third quarter after a Celine Dumerc late jumper, Basket Landes (1-1) outscored Fenerbahce Safiport (1-1) 21-15 in the fourth quarter for an eventual 70-65 victory. France’s Lidija Turcinovic scored a team-high 15 points for Landes, with longtime French National Team member Dumerc finishing with 11 points. Kayla McBride capped the game as the leading scorer with 17 points for Fener and Elizabeth Williams chipped in eight points.

Perfumerias Avenida Salamanca 72, TTT Riga 41
A well-balanced scoring attack, which saw Bella Alarie notch 14 points on 6-of-9 shooting from the field, and eight rebounds, helped Perfumerias Avenida Salamanca (2-0) overpower TTT Riga (0-2) 72-41. Jasmine Thomas, who finished with 14 points, five rebounds, five assists and six steals, was Riga’s lone double-digit scorer.

UMMC Ekaterinburg 75, Umana Reyer 69
UMMC Ekaterinburg (2-0) continued its winning ways with a 75-69 victory over Umana Reyer (1-1) behind a 24-point, 11-rebound output from Russian and Los Angeles Spark Maria Vadeeva. Spain’s Alba Torrens scored 18 and Belgium’s Emma Meeseman, MVP of the 2019 WNBA Finals, collected 15 points and a game-high 13 rebounds. Serbian Olympic guard Yvonne Anderson finished with a high of 15 points for Umana Reyer.

Beretta Famila Schio (1-1) vs. Spar Girona (1-1)
Kennedy Burke scored 19 points and Rebekah Gardner added 15 to lead Spar Girona (1-1) to a 76-68 victory over Beretta Famila Schio (1-1), which saw Charli Collier finish as one of four Schio players to score in double figures. She had 12 in the loss.  

Spotlight on Americans in the EuroCup
Former NC State standout Chelsea Nelson had 18 points in a 90-83 NKA Universitas PEAC victory over Neve David Ramla, despite a 26-point outburst from Mitchell.

The combined 67 points from Brown and Ellenberg helped propel Hatayspor to a 100-76 victory over WBC Enisey, in which N’dea Jones contributed seven points, seven rebounds and three assists.

Against ACS Sepsi-Sic, BC Prometey not only received 26 points, four rebounds, two assists and three steals from Atkins in the 86-64 win, but Joyner Holmes contributed eight points and 12 boards.

Kristine Anigwe posted a double-double of 15 points and 15 rebounds and Tiffany Hayes added 11 points and five assists to help lead CBK Mersin Yenishir BLD to a 78-55 victory over Horizont.