Has there been a more valuable player for Bourges this season than France international playmaker Celine Dumerc?

The answer, of course, is no.

Dumerc, best known for her ability to shut down opposing point guards, is underrated on offense and this EuroLeague campaign illustrates that perfectly.

The Tarbes-born star buried 44.7% (17 of 38) of her shots from three-point range, and when the game has been on the line, Dumerc has delivered.

In their biggest EuroLeague Women triumph of the season at previously unbeaten UMMC Ekaterinburg in the Qualifying Round, the 1.69m Dumerc tore apart the Russians with 19 points, including the go-ahead tap-in with 17 seconds remaining.

Dumerc was fouled on the play and made the free throw for the 64-62 final.

That result propelled the French giants to a second-place finish and gave them home-court advantage in the Eighth-Finals.

In Bourges' four play-off games - all wins - against MKB Euroleasing Sopron and Fenerbahce, Dumerc averaged 30 minutes on the court.

Why is that important?

When Dumerc doesn't play, Bourges usually lose as they did in two games against ZVVZ Prague and Wisla Can-Pack Krakow at the start of the Qualifying Round.

When she returned, still not fully recovered from a foot injury, Bourges lost again at home to Ekaterinburg.

As she regained fitness, Bourges' fortunes improved as they finished Group B play with five straight victories and then won four straight play-off games.

Dumerc is the third leading scorer on the team at 10.5 points per contest, and she leads the teams in steals with 21.

That second statistic is all the more impressive when considering that Dumerc missed three games through injury.