On Saturday, January 31, the Women’s Russian Cup Final Four concluded in Syktyvkar. UMMC Yekaterinburg claimed the prestigious trophy for the third consecutive time and the 13th time in the club’s history.

The main intrigue of women’s club basketball in recent years remains the same: who can stop UMMC? The Yekaterinburg-based team continues to dominate domestically, collecting major honors on the national stage. The club would be eager to add further international titles to its already impressive collection, as it did in the past - UMMC are five-time EuroLeague champions, most recently lifting the trophy in the 2020/21 season - but for the time being, such opportunities are not available. For now, their aim is on what lies within reach.

To their credit, the club’s management, coaching staff, and players do not distinguish between big wins and small ones. They simply focus on doing their job. And when they stepped onto the court at the Luzares Arena in Syktyvkar, where this season’s Cup Final Four was held, the team had one singular goal: to win — regardless of how anyone else viewed it and despite whatever motivation their opponents brought to the game.

It must be said, UMMC’s rivals are not willing to accept the team’s domestic hegemony. The main opponents — Dynamo Kursk and NIKA-Luzales — strengthened their rosters in the off-season and have made their ambitions clear on the court. Just two weeks before the Russian Cup Final Four, Dynamo managed to defeat UMMC in a Premier League matchup, bringing an end to an approaching 50-game (!) winning streak for the Yekaterinburg team across all Russian competitions. Meanwhile, NIKA-Luzales wanted to delight its fans, bolstered by players with championship experience. For example, veteran Tatiana Vidmer, a 2011 European champion who recently celebrated her 40th birthday, can still outplay many younger competitors, or Raisa Musina, who once contributed to UMMC’s successes and also became a junior world champion with Russia’s national team.

By the tournament rules, the teams from Kursk and Syktyvkar met in the semifinals. The home-court factor ultimately worked in favor of Vidmer, Musina, and the team: in a tightly contested game against an evenly matched opponent, they achieved their goal, winning 70–63. The other semifinal provided little resistance. UMMC breezed past Moscow’s MBA-MGUSiT, scoring over 100 points in a 101–73 rout.

Then came the final. The small local sports complex, packed to capacity with around a thousand spectators, cheered on their girls — and the team gave their all, determined to challenge the favorites. At first, it worked. By the middle of the second quarter, the Ural team, guided by their recognized leaders — American point guard with Belarusian citizenship Alexandria Bentley and Russian center Maria Klyundikova (maiden name - Vadeeva) — held a slim seven-point lead. It seemed as though the hosts could close the gap at any moment, seize the initiative, and take control of the game.

However, that never happened. Coach Dmitrii Donskov’s team once again showed their class. They locked in on defense, started hitting their shots on offense, and built a fast break advantage. By the end of the first half, the lead had stretched to 15 points — and it was clear that Yekaterinburg had no intention of stopping there.

The game’s suspense effectively ended in the third quarter. Riding their momentum and making full use of their depth — ultimately, five UMMC players scored 10 points or more — the reigning national champions and Russian Cup holders made it clear: there would be no upset, and the home team’s triumph was not to be expected.

The final buzzer confirmed a commanding 89-55 victory for UMMC. Another trophy for the Yekaterinburg superclub! The Final Four MVP honor went, rightly, to Maria Klyundikova, who posted 19 points and 7 rebounds in the semifinal and 14 points with 9 rebounds in the championship game.

“I think the opposing team spent the lion’s share of their energy in the semifinals, and today the hosts didn’t quite look like themselves,” UMMC head coach Dmitrii Donskov said after the game. “But we also have to give ourselves credit. For example, we contained Raisa Musina, who scored fewer than ten points, as well as American Destanni Henderson. I want to thank the girls for playing such aggressive defense. Moreover, we had the advantage in the paint — Maria Klyundikova and Zhosselina Maiga knew they needed to demand the ball, draw fouls, and they did exactly that. Thanks to all of this, we won the Russian Cup once again. It’s something all of us — management, coaches, and players alike — are extremely happy about!”

Source: MK-Sport