RUS - Bird, Olympians take center stage in Russian Cup
EKATERINBURG (Russian Cup) - UMMC Ekaterinburg didn't have new signing Sue Bird until the turn the new year, but it’s already proved to be worth the wait.
The two-time Olympic gold medal winner with the United States and also a two-time world champion, Bird has led UMMC to a trophy at the first attempt.
With the 31-year-old Bird calling the shots at point guard, UMMC won the Russian Cup on Wednesday.
In the award ceremony after Thursday's 92-72 win over Nadezhda, she was named MVP of the event.
Other players with good shots at playing at the London Games are in the UMMC squad, including Beijing Olympic Candace Parker of the USA, and Russians Svetlana Abrosimova, Tatiana Vidmer, Maria Stepanova and Olga Arteshina.
UMMC also have France's Sandrine Gruda, who led the team in scoring with 19 points, and the Czech Republic's Hana Horakova.
Both Gruda and Horakova will be with their national teams in Ankara in June for the FIBA Olympic Qualifying Tournament for Women where five places for the London Games will be on offer.
Twelve sides will compete at the OQT.
Becky Hammon, a naturalized Russian who plays for Sparta&K Moscow Region, was named the best defender of the Russian Cup.
The EuroBasket Women 2011 MVP, Elena Danilochkina of Russia, was named the best small forward of the Russian Cup and Stepanova was voted top center.
