As the Storm started training camp yesterday, basically half of the team’s roster remains overseas. Let’s update their status, focusing on when they might be finished with their commitments.

Saturday was Game 1 of the best-of-five Russian Superleague Finals, and UMMC Ekaterinburg pulled the upset on the road, limiting Spartak Moscow Region to 21 points in the second half of a 70-62 victory. Ekaterinburg did a phenomenal job of defending Spartak’s UConn backcourt. Sue Bird shot 3-of-11 from the field, scoring eight points, but was held to one assist. Diana Taurasi finished with 13 points on 5-of-14 shooting. Spartak’s only consistent offensive force was Sylvia Fowles, who had 22 points and nine rebounds. Ekaterinburg was more balanced, with five players scoring at least eight points. Svetlana Abrosimova started but was scoreless in 24 minutes of action.

The series now heads to Ekaterinburg for Games 2 and 3 on Tuesday and Wednesday. If necessary, Spartak will host Games 4 and 5 on Saturday and Sunday. Whether the series goes four or five games, then, won’t make a big difference in return dates for Abrosimova and Bird, but they would be back much quicker if Ekaterinburg sweeps the series – which would definitely be a surprise.

The Lega Feminina finals also tipped off on Saturday, with host Ros Casares Valencia handing Halcon Avenida a 78-69 defeat. Belinda Snell (24 points) and DeLisha Milton-Jones (23) both had big offensive games, combining to knock down eight three-pointers in 12 attempts. Jana Vesela had five rebounds in 33 minutes of action. Sancho Lyttle led Avenida with 19 points and 12 rebounds. Le’coe Willingham scored seven points on 3-of-10 shooting, grabbing six rebounds.

Ros Casares will go for the sweep on Thursday in Avenida. If necessary, Game 3 will take place on Saturday in Valencia.

In Poland, the PLKK finals are tied at one apiece. AZS Gorzow defeated Tanisha Wright and Lotos Gdynia 78-74 in yesterday’s Game 1, but Lotos evened the series with an 80-72 win earlier today. Wright’s play was a big difference between the two outcomes. After a quiet Game 1 (four points), she exploded for 20 today on 5-of-12 shooting as well as six rebounds and four assists. Games 3 and 4 will be played Friday and Saturday. I can’t find a date for Game 5 online should the series go that far.

The Storm has two training camp invitees who finished up their season in Greece yesterday against each other. Laura Kurz led Ano Liosa’s 95-77 win over Panathinaikos with 18 points, nine rebounds and six assists. Lindsey Wilson had three points in 13 minutes. Still, Panathinaikos (which I suspect may already have clinched) won a three-way tie for third place in the A1 League, which does not have any postseason play, at 15-9. Ano Liosa finished 14-10 and in sixth place. Kurz ended the season the league’s leading scorer in terms of total points (414). Wilson was ninth, as well as seventh in assists. Kurz also was fourth in rebounding.

The other two Storm players who remain overseas are posts Abby Bishop and Lauren Jackson, who are participating in a training camp with the Australian Opals National Team. The camp, which will be the last opportunity for the Opals to train together prior to this fall and the World Championship, runs through Friday.

”One of the challenging things about the Opals program is our lack of time together, lack of the full group together,” Head Coach Carrie Graf told The Age. ”It’s really about maximising the time and putting in some of the team systems and building the foundation of what our culture and team themes are.”

It was a good run for Ashley Walker and Maccabi Ashdod, which made the Israeli D-I Finals for the first time in team history, but it came to an end Monday when Ramat Hasharon defeated Ashdod 64-63 on the road to win the series three games to one. Ashdod clung to a one-point lead and the hopes of extending the series to a deciding fifth game with six seconds left, but Ambrosia Anderson’s layup won the game and the series. Walker had 14 points in the final game, a defensive struggle, while former Storm forward Sheri Sam won the championship with Ramat Hasharon.

Chelsea Newton also saw her overseas season conclude as Liomatic Umbertide was swept by the best team in Italy, Cras Basket Taranto, 2-0 in the quarterfinal round. Taranto won 81-52 at home in Game 1 as Newton scored nine points, and then won 81-61 at Umbertide on Tuesday. Newton had six points and nine boards and former Sacramento teammate Rebekkah Brunson led Taranto with 20 points and eight boards.

Yesterday marked the start of semifinal action in the Russian Superleague playoffs, and Spartak Moscow Region handed Kursk Dynamo a 102-87 defeat. Sue Bird scored 10 points and handed out five assists and Diana Taurasi led all scorers with 20 points. Spartak made 67.2 percent of its two-point shots and piled up 35 points in the third quarter alone. Spartak will go for the sweep Sunday, when the series moves to Kursk.

Half of the Liga Feminina finals is set in Spain. Halcon Avenida swept its way into the championship by defeating Rivas Ecopolis 65-59 on Saturday behind 14 points and eight rebounds from Le’coe Willingham and 68-65 in a thriller on Wednesday. Rivas Ecopolis was unable to connect on a potential tying three at the buzzer, allowing Avenida to advance. Willingham had six points and five rebounds in the deciding game, including a crucial rebound of a missed free throw late in the game.

Because Ros Casares Valencia was busy finishing as the runner-up in the Euroleague Final Four, the other semifinal series did not get underway until yesterday. Ros Casares moved halfway to a showdown against Avenida by defeating Mann Filter Zaragoza 80-64. Jana Vesela contributed six points and four boards and DeLisha Milton-Jones scored a game-high 27. Game 2 will take place on Monday.

The Israeli finals are tied at one apiece after Maccabi Ashdod held serve at home and won Game 2 83-82 on a three-pointer by Christi Thomas with 2.8 seconds remaining. The triple capped a comeback from a deficit as large as 11 points. Thomas scored 19 points, and the Storm’s Ashley Walker finished with 16 points and seven rebounds, but it was point guard Natasha Lacy who really carried Ashdod. Lacy put together a triple-double with 21 points, 11 rebounds and 10 assists. Electra Ramat Hasharon will look to regain control of the series tomorrow at home in Game 3.

In the Polish PLKK, Tanisha Wright and Lotos Gdynia are tied 1-1 in their semifinal matchup with Energa Tolun. Lotos was upset 74-73 at home in Game 1 when Monika Krawiec made two free throws with seconds remaining. Tanisha Wright had 13 points, five assists and three rebounds in the loss. Wright had a rough shooting night in Game 2, missing seven of her eight shot attempts, but Lotos still blew Energa out 74-58, getting 18 points apiece from Erin Phillips and Ivana Matovic. The series turns to Tolun for Games 3 and 4 Saturday and Sunday.

Last weekend wrapped up the Spanish regular season. Behind 21 points from DeLisha Milton-Jones, Ros Casares Valencia cruised to a 79-58 win over Estudiantes. Jana Vesela added 12 points, three assists and two boards. Ros Casares finishes 25-1 and atop Liga Feminina. Coming in second at 23-3? Rival Halcon Avenida, which goes into the playoffs off an 85-61 win over Joventut. Le’coe Willingham contributed 15 points on 6-of-11 shooting and three boards.

The best-of-three semifinal series kick off Saturday with Avenida hosting Rivas Ecopolis. Ros Casares won’t be able to begin its series until after this weekend’s Euroleague Final Four, but hosts Mann Filter Zaragoza beginning next Thursday.

Liomatic Umbertide lost a heartbreaker 74-73 in its regular-season finale, but advanced to the Serie A1 playoffs nonetheless as the eighth and final seed. Chelsea Newton scored 15 points in the loss. Umbertide will take on league-leading Cras Basket Taranto, which went 21-1 in the regular season and features former Storm guard Michelle Greco. Game 1 of the series is scheduled for Saturday.

Playing at hope, Vologda was able to keep things close with Spartak Moscow Region for a half before ultimately getting blown out 100-62 as Spartak finished off a 2-0 sweep of the teams’ best-of-three quarterfinal series. Pokey Chatman again went with a large rotation and had eight players score at least seven points, led by 21 from Diana Taurasi. Sue Bird chipped in seven points and seven assists.

Spartak will not resume Russian play until after the April 9-11 Euroleague Final Four. Spartak’s semifinal series against Kursk Dynamo, also best-of-three, begins April 15.

In Spain, Ros Casares Valencia cruised to a 105-61 victory over Real Canoe. Jana Vesela came off the bench to post a pretty typical line for her – nine points, five rebounds and three assists. Halcon Avenida played a much more challenging game against Hondarribia Irun, holding on for a 64-59 win. Le’coe Willingham scored 14 points and grabbed five rebounds. Anna DeForge led Hondarribia with 23 points.

A scoring outburst from Chelsea Newton wasn’t enough for Liomatic Umbertide to knock off SS. Giovanni in a 62-59 loss on Sunday. Newton scored 30 points, shooting 13-of-16 from the field, but she was the only Umbertide player to reach double-figures. Newton added eight boards.