In a battle of Storm stars, Lauren Jackson and Ros Casares Valencia earned a crucial 81-63 victory Wednesday over UMMC Ekaterinburg in Russia. After trailing early, Valencia opened up a lead as large as 14 points during the second quarter and cruised to the win behind impressive 57.4 percent shooting and three players with at least 15 points.

Reserve post Isabelle Yacoubou led Ros Casares with 16 points in 17 minutes, making eight of her nine shot attempts. Jackson and Ann Wauters scored 15 apiece, while Silvia Dominguez scored nine points and handed out seven assists. Bird scored nine points for Ekaterinburg, but was held without an assist and committed five turnovers. Sandrine Gruda, who scored 20 points, was the only consistent scoring threat for UMMC, which shot 41.8 percent and made just one three-pointer.

With the win, Ros Casares stays tied with Galatasaray atop Group A at 11-2 pending next Wednesday’s showdown in Valencia. The loser of that game will finish second in Group A, with Ekaterinburg (9-4) already locked into third place.

Over in Group C, Wisla Can-Pack Krakow suffered a costly 71-66 loss at Rivas Ecopolis. With the loss, Wisla fell out of first place in the group at 9-4, a game behind 10-3 Sparta&K Moscow Region. Wisla will need a win next week over Gospic CO and a Sparta&K loss at BLMA to finish atop the group. After entering the fourth quarter down one, Krakow scored just a single point over the first 5:10 of the period, allowing Rivas to open up a seven-point lead. Neither team scored in the last three minutes, allowing Ecopolis to hang on.

Ewelina Kobryn scored 15 points and grabbed seven boards for Wisla, which also got 19 points from Nicole Powell and 15 from Anke De Mondt. The rest of the team combined to make eight out of 26 shots. Essence Carson scored 19 points for Rivas Ecopolis and Asjha Jones had 18 points and eight boards.

When does a six-point game feature a dramatic conclusion? When it’s the conclusion of a two-game aggregate series in the EuroCup Playoffs. Tanisha Wright and Elizur Ramla came into Thursday’s home game against Kayseri Kaskispor needing to win by 11 points to advance, or by 10 to force an overtime. In the closing minutes, Ramla was right at the mark. When Laine Selwyn scored with 1:01 left, it gave Ramla an 11-point advantage. But former Storm post Le’coe Willingham – who helped lead Ramla to the EuroCup title last year – followed with a layin with 51 seconds left. After the teams traded turnovers, Ramla took possession with 23 seconds left, needing a score to advance. Instead, Selwyn turned the ball over, and Ramla’s 70-64 victory was ultimately meaningless.

Wright did all she could to help Ramla move on, scoring 25 points, grabbing eight rebounds and coming up with five steals. Shay Doron (24) was the lone other Ramla player to score double figures. By contrast, Kayseri had four players score double figures, led by 17 points and 13 boards for Latoya Sanders. Willingham had 10 points and 12 rebounds.

Over in the EuroLeague, Wisla Can-Pack Krakow saw host CB Taranto pull away after halftime of Thursday’s 81-69 victory. Ewelina Kobryn scored 10 points but was held without a rebound going up against Kia Vaughn, who finished with 21 points and 10 boards. Former Storm guard Michelle Greco added 10 points, eight rebounds and seven assists for Taranto. With the loss, Wisla dropped into a tie for first place in Group C with Sparta&K Moscow Region.

The two Group A powers with Storm players continued their winning ways in Wednesday’s EuroLeague action. On a night Sue Bird was scoreless and Deanna Nolan shot 2-of-7 from the field, UMMC Ekaterinburg dominated the frontcourt to beat USK Praha 87-69. Sandrine Gruda scored 30 points on 13-of-19 shooting and Candace Parker had 18 points and nine boards, while Yelena Leuchanka (10 points, 11 rebounds) doubled up. That offset 21 points from Praha’s DeLisha Milton-Jones. Praha hung around after falling behind by double digits early, but Ekaterinburg pulled away down the stretch.

In Spain, Ros Casares Valencia topped Bourges Basket 68-61 in a game that got close late. Ros Casares led by as many as 16 in the final period, but a 13-2 Bourges run made things interesting. Ros Casares held Bourges scoreless in the final 1:28 to preserve the victory. Lauren Jackson led Valencia with 14 points in just 23 minutes, knocking down three shots from beyond the arc. Maya Moore scored 13 in the defensive battle. Cathy Joens of Bourges led all scorers with 17 points on 7-of-9 shooting from the field.

It was a relatively light day of action in the EuroLeague, with several games – including Wisla Can-Pack Krakow at CB Taranto – scheduled for tomorrow. Check back for results there and from the EuroCup postseason.

After getting off to a slow 0-2 start because of the player strike in Israel, Elizur Ramla is back in top of the league at 9-2 thanks to the combination of Monday’s 108-77 victory over Hapoel and a loss by Ramat Hasharon. Tanisha Wright scored 21 points on 8-of-14 shooting and handed out nine assists in the win. Shay Doron scored 20 points and Lindsay Wisdom-Hylton scored 19 for Ramla. Kaili McLaren paced Hapoel with 20 points and 12 boards.

Sue Bird had her best game yet for UMMC Ekaterinburg in a lopsided 98-51 win over Energia, handing out nine assists in 27 minutes. Bird also scored four points. Many of Bird’s assists went to Sandrine Gruda, who scored 31 points on 11-of-17 shooting. Candace Parker (24 points, 13 rebounds) and Deanna Nolan (17 points, 11 boards) both had big double-doubles.

Ros Casares Valencia started both Lauren Jackson and Jana Vesela in Sunday’s 90-52 blowout of Girona FC, but matched up with a smaller lineup much of the game, meaning Jackson and Vesela played a combined 23 minutes, scoring nine points. Maya Moore came off the bench for 20 points and fellow reserve Isabelle Yacoubou scored 14 as Ros Casares showcased its unparalleled depth.

In a matchup with seeding implications, Sydney hosted Bulleen on Friday night and suffered an 80-71 home defeat. With just two Flames players scoring double figures, Belinda Snell forced things a bit. She scored 21 points but needed 21 shot attempts and turned the ball over seven times. Amy Denson came up big for Syndey, scoring 28 points and grabbing seven boards, but the Boomers had more balance with Liz Cambage’s 23 points and 10 rebounds leading five double-figure scorers.

Wisla Can-Pack Krakow had a tough time with Energa Torun on Saturday, pulling out a 79-73 win. Energa was able to hold Ewelina Kobryn to 5-of-15 shooting, though she still finished with 12 points and eight rebounds. Anke De Mondt scored 23 points for Wisla and Nicole Powell contributed 18.

Allie Quigley scored 19 points in 27 minutes as Pecs 2010 made quick work of DKSK in a 90-43 win. Pecs led 22-7 after the first quarter and held a 23-4 advantage in the third quarter. Quigley shot 7-of-12 from the field, grabbed eight rebounds and handed out five assists.

On Wednesday, Sue Bird suited up in EuroLeague competition for UMMC Ekaterinburg for the first time, leading the Russian power to an 88-56 win over Lithuanian club VICI Aistes. Bird had an off shooting night, making just one of her nine attempts, but Ekaterinburg didn’t need her production with five players scoring double figures, including 23 points for Candace Parker and Deanna Nolan contributing 16 points and six assists.

Ros Casares Valencia faced a bit of a tricky matchup Wednesday in Prague against USK Praha – which handed Ros Casares one of its two losses earlier this season in Spain – but took the lead for good in the third quarter of an 81-70 victory. Lauren Jackson had nine points, five rebounds and three assists for Valencia, which was led in scoring by the 14 points of reserve Isabelle Yacoubou. Jana Vesela had five points and three assists, including the three-pointer that gave Ros Casares its first lead. The Valencia defense on Lindsay Whalen was excellent, holding the star point guard to six points and three assists.

Wisla Can-Pack Krakow stayed atop Group C with an 80-64 home win over Frisco Brno. Ewelina Kobryn scored 16 points on 7-of-11 shooting in 24 minutes, pulling down six rebounds. Nicole Powell led all scorers with 19 points. Brno, which dropped Storm center Ashley Robinson due to her ankle injury, used just six players. Farhiya Abdi topped them with 17 points and seven boards.

The holiday break is over and women’s basketball is back in full swing in Europe. That meant Sue Bird made her debut for UMMC Ekaterinburg on Saturday in an 82-38 win over Spartak Noginsk. Coming off the bench as she learns a new system, Bird had six points, three rebounds and four steals in 23 minutes of action. Five players scored double figures for UMMC Ekaterinburg, with Candace Parker (15 points, nine boards) leading the way. Bird will face some tougher competition on Wednesday when the Euroleague resumes play.

Ros Casares Valencia has played a pair of games since the break. On Saturday, Lauren Jackson went off for 20 points and 10 rebounds in a high-scoring 97-71 win over Soller Bon Dia! Jackson, who started at small forward, knocked down three three-pointers. Sancho Lyttle scored 18 points and grabbed 14 rebounds and Ann Wauters scored 17 points for Ros Casares. On Wednesday, Ros Casares crushed Cadi La Seu 105-56, getting 10 points from Jackson. Jana Vesela also scored 10 as seven Valencia players topped double digits, including 18 for Shay Murphy and 13 points and 10 boards for reserve Isabelle Yacoubou.

The Sydney Flames spent the weekend in Canberra. On Friday, Belinda Snell fouled out after 19 minutes of action. Without their leading scorer, the Flames were inept offensively in the final quarter of a 72-66 loss to the Capitals, scoring just four points as Canberra rallied from a 10-point deficit through three periods. Completing the back-to-back at AIS, Sydney pulled out a 62-53 win to salvage the split. Snell scored 19 points, making three triples in the win.

Elizur Ramla hasn’t played since last Thursday, skipping Monday’s round of action because the Israeli D-I league has an odd number of teams this season. Before that, a 79-65 win over Raanana Hertzeliya allowed Ramla to tie Ramat Hasharon atop the standings at 8-2. Tanisha Wright had 23 points, five rebounds and five assists, shooting 10-of-14 from the field.

Ewelina Kobryn put together a big effort with 24 points on 8-of-11 shooting and 12 rebounds as Wisla Can-Pack Krakow easily dispatched of AZS Poznan, 78-46. Kobryn needed just 23 minutes for the double-double as Wisla went heavily to the bench in the lopsided win.

Allie Quigley played a key role on the glass in Pecs 2010’s 74-66 victory over BSE-FCSM. Quigley pulled down 14 rebounds in addition to her 22 points and six steals in the win.

This week was the last round of Euroleague action before teams in Europe break so that players can head home for the holidays. There was plenty of drama, including yesterday’s announcement that Ros Casares Valencia has sacked coach Natalia Hejkova despite being tied atop Group A with an 8-2 record. Expectations are sky high in Valencia with a star-studded roster including Storm star Lauren Jackson, and the pressure on new head coach Roberto Iniguez will only grow when Ros Casares adds Maya Moore to the lineup after then new year.

Hejkova went out with a comfortable 84-70 home win over Lotos Gdynia. Jackson returned to the bench and scored seven points in 19 minutes. Jana Vesela, back in the starting lineup, scored 10 points and handed out five assists. Ann Wauters scored a game-high 21 points and point guard Laia Palau was terrific, scoring 14 points and handing out 13 assists. Shay Murphy added 17 points and seven boards. Aneika Henry, who was briefly in training camp with the Storm, had 14 points and seven rebounds for Lotos.

The week’s big game was in Ekaterinburg, where UMMC played host to Turkish power Galatasaray. Ekaterinburg seized control of the game in the third quarter, outscoring Galatasaray 22-11, then withstood a rally that got the lead down to just four in the closing minutes to win 85-80. Diana Taurasi scored 28 points for Galatasaray and Tina Charles had a double-double of 18 points and 10 rebounds, but UMMC countered with impressive depth. Six players scored at least seven points, led by 17 from Candace Parker, who also grabbed seven boards. Svetlana Abrosimova again sat out due to her Achilles injury. The win kept Ekaterinburg just a game back of Group A leaders Ros Casares and Galatasaray with four games left in group play.

Ewelina Kobryn had her best Euroleague outing of the season in a 77-64 road win over BLMA. Kobryn was nearly perfect from the field, making 10 of her 11 shot attempts en route to 25 points in 24 minutes as she dealt with foul trouble. Wisla Can-Pack Krakow, which trailed early, took the lead in the second quarter and pulled away down the stretch for the win. Milka Bjelica had 20 points and six assists and Erin Phillips scored 16 points for Wisla. BLMA was led by 18 points from Edwige Lawson.

Frisco Brno fell 82-63 in Italy to Cras Basket Taranto. Ashley Robinson was strong in the loss, scoring 12 points and collecting 11 rebounds. Romana Hedjova scored 17 and Jasmine Thomas had 16 for Frisco, but the rest of the team combined for just 18 points. Michelle Greco scored 15 for Taranto, which got a double-double (14 points, 13 boards) from Kia Vaughn.

Over in the EuroCup, group play is over and the eighth-finals will start after the break. Elizur Ramla and Tanisha Wright, after going a perfect 4-0 in Group H, are seeded third and will face Turkish club Kayseri Kaskispor in a two-game, aggregate series. The two legs will be played on Jan. 12 and Jan. 19.

After a month with Ros Casares Valencia, Lauren Jackson is starting to look like the three-time MVP. Jackson started at small forward during Saturday’s blowout win over Obenasa Lacturale and scored 22 points on 7-of-12 shooting. Jackson made all four of her three-point attempts and added five rebounds in 25 minutes. The rest of the Ros Casares frontcourt was dominant. Isabelle Yacoubou had 18 points and 10 rebounds off the bench, Ann Wauters scored 20 points and Sancho Lyttle contributed 14 points and seven rebounds. Jana Vesela handed out five assists and grabbed four rebounds.

Svetlana Abrosimova is still sidelined by an Achilles issue, but UMMC Ekaterinburg had no trouble with Nadezhda on Saturday, winning 85-58 at home. Maria Stepanova controlled the paint with 18 points and nine boards, Anete Jekabsone-Zogota scored 16 and Candace Parker chipped in 14 points and nine rebounds. Ekaterinburg did a phenomenal job of defending Nadezhda’s Katie Douglas, who finished with five points on 1-of-5 shooting.

Down under, Sydney went on the road to knock off the struggling Canberra Capitals 76-70 on Saturday. Belinda Snell had 16 points, eight assists and four rebounds for the Flames, who also got 24 points from Amy Denson and 20 from reserve Lauren King. Marianna Tolo scored 22 points and grabbed eight rebounds for Canberra, which rallied in vain from a 12-point halftime deficit.

Wisla Can-Pack Krakow earned a lopsided win over Lodz over the weekend, turning a 36-12 lead after one quarter into a 95-58 final. Ewelina Kobryn scored 19 points in 19 minutes before calling it a night. She also grabbed seven rebounds and handed out three assists. Ana Dabovic led Wisla with 23 points and Milka Bjelica scored 18.

Allie Quigley scored 15 points as Pecs 2010 topped Vasas-Basket 59-43. Quigley grabbed eight rebounds and knocked down both of her attempts from long distance in the win.

In the Czech Republic, Frisco Brno dominated Lokomotiva Karlovy Vary 97-53. Teresa Peckova scored 30 points for Brno and Jasmine Thomas had a double-double of 16 points and 10 rebounds. Ashley Robinson had seven points, five rebounds and four assists.