Spartak Moscow Region

From Hoopedia

The Spartak Moscow Region women’s basketball club was founded in 1949. They play in suburban Moscow.

Spartak gradually became one of the top teams in the Soviet Union and in Russia. They won their first title in 1967, the “All-Soviet Winter Games.” In the years 1968–1982 Spartak won one USSR Championship, was runner-up seven times and took third-place once. (Being runner-up in that era was the best anyone could hope for; back then Soviet and international women's basketball were completely dominated by whatever team had Uljana Semjonova.) Spartak also excelled in Europe, winning the Lilian Ronchetti Cup three times (1977, 1981, 1982).

For the past quarter-century Spartak has been less successful. They took third place in the 1993 Russian Championships, but things did not really turn around until the 200-06 season. In 2007 in Russia the team placed fourth and in Europe it won the prestigious FIBA Eurocup becoming the first Russian Club ever to win both the Ronchetti Cup as well as the FIBA Europe Cup.

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2007 EuroLeague Championship

Spartak Moscow Region celebrate winning the EuroLeague Women 2007 Championship.

Spartak Moscow Region beat Ros Casares Valencia, 76-62, to win the 2007 EuroLeague Women championship. Tina Thompson (USC and Houston Comets) and Diana Taurasi (UConn and Phoenix Mercury) led the way. Thompson, Final Four MVP, scored 24 points and grabbed eight rebounds. Taurasi chipped in 23 points. Thompson was voted Player of the Year, Forward of the Year and Import Player of the Year by Eurobasket.com and is first team All-EuroLeague. Taurasi was named European Player of the Year and second team All-EuroLeague.

Spartak may be European champions, but, ironically, they are tied for second place in the Russian Women's Superleague.

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