UMMC win Russian Championship for the 19th time

UMMC Yekaterinburg were crowned Russian champions after defeating Dynamo Kursk 84–81 in Game 4 of the Premier League Finals on Monday, April 27. The victory marked a 19th title in club history and a fourth straight championship for the Foxes — arguably their most hard-fought in recent years.

UMMC Yekaterinburg claimed the Russian championship on Monday after beating Dynamo Kursk 84–81 in Game 4 of the Premier League Finals to take the series 3-1.

The paragraph above has been repeated by numerous outlets year after year — altered slightly in wording or structure, yet unchanged in essence — for nearly two decades. And for good reason. UMMC have effectively turned the Russian championship into a one-team race. This latest triumph is their 19th title overall — more than all other top clubs in the country combined. UMMC first emerged as a dominant force in Russian basketball in 2002 and won the championship again in 2003.

There was a brief pause, however, before the Foxes were back on top in 2009. Since then, UMMC have lost the title only once — in 2022, when, amid the unplanned departure of several foreign players following the events in Ukraine, they were dethroned by Dynamo Kursk.

Much has changed since that 2022 final. Head coach Dmitrii Donskov, who took charge of the team at a difficult moment, quickly reshaped it to meet new realities — without any drop in performance. UMMC went on to win the championship in 2023, 2024 and 2025, doing so with apparent ease, often leaving their rivals’ fans with little reason for optimism even before the decisive games began.

It was not an encouraging start. UMMC opened Game 1 (with the first two games of the decisive series played in Yekaterinburg) with a clear advantage, beating Dynamo by around 20 points. Game 2 was noticeably tighter, but the outcome remained the same — another win for UMMC. However, Game 3 in Kursk turned into a real thriller. UMMC played at their usual level, but Dynamo were led by Olga Frolkina and Daria Repnikova, who both scored around 20 points apiece. That was nearly half of Dynamo’s 83 points (with UMMC finishing on 78), enough to secure a home win, extend the series, and keep their title hopes alive.

There were, in fact, reasons for the Kursk team to believe in a repeat of their 2022 success for much of Game 4 as well. The contest remained close until the final stages, with Dynamo even holding a slight advantage at times, once again relying on Frolkina and Repnikova, who finished with 17 and 14 points respectively. To their frustration, however, UMMC head coach Dmitrii Donskov managed his team in such a way that they stayed firmly in the game while still preserving enough energy for a decisive late push.

The standout performers were Anastasia Olairi Kosu (16 points), Zhosselina Maiga and Jovana Nogic (12 points each). It is also worth highlighting Russia national team center Maria Klyundikova, who contributed 8 points and 6 rebounds. After the game, UMMC head coach Dmitrii Donskov noted in his post-game press conference that “the key was to hold on until the fourth quarter and not let Dynamo pull away.” His team did exactly that, before producing a short but decisive burst late in the game that secured an 84–81 victory and the championship title.

“I would like to thank the team and the club management,” Donskov said. “I can say that in the four seasons during which we have been winning everything, this was the toughest final. But we prepared well. We knew the key was to stay in the game until the fourth quarter and not let Dynamo pull away, because the two defeats we suffered against them during the season were decided in the final quarter. And, of course, we had a little more luck in the closing stages.”

Anastasia Olairi Kosu, who was named Finals MVP and is originally from Kursk, said the “battle went down to the final seconds and the intensity was incredible”. “But we did a great job, gave everything we had. It’s amazing!” she said.

Source: Kommersant