The following year it won the Euroleague in its debut season, becoming the first Russian team to win the top European trophy.

[citation needed] UMMC wasn't able to win the championship in the following five seasons with the rise of VBM-SGAU Samara and Spartak Moscow Region.

[citation needed] Olaf Lange was head coach of UMMC Ekaterinburg for six years, during which time they had two FIBA EuroLeague titles.

[4] In 2015, Taurasi was reportedly paid US$1.5 million per season, significantly higher than the pay in the WNBA.

[8][9][10][11] Seven days earlier, on February 17, UMMC player and American two-time Olympic champion Brittney Griner was arrested on drug charges in Russia by the Russian Federal Security Service.

[15][16] Ultimately, she was released on December 8 in a prisoner exchange for Russian arms dealer Viktor Bout, who had served 10 years of a 25-year sentence.