No one should be surprised Bourges Basket are back in the EuroLeague Women Final Four.

One of the true powerhouses in Europe, Bourges, a city made famous by the Cathédrale Saint-Étienne de Bourges, has a trophy cabinet that is overflowing.

This team always seems to be in the reckoning.

In 1995, the team captured the European Cup and in 1997 and '98, Bourges celebrated titles in the EuroLeague Women.

Bourges had to settle for a runners-up finish to Ruzomberok in 2001, but won the EuroLeague again the next year.

		Evanthia Maltsi leads Bourges in scoring.

The departures of key players Anete Jekabsone-Zogota, Mudju Ngoyisa, Laia Palau and Elodie Godin from last season's team that reached the quarter-finals did pose questions of Pierre Vincent's side, but all of  them have been answered by the likes of EuroLeague Women All Star Evanthia Maltsi, and holdovers from last year like Céline Dumerc and Cathy Melain.

A summer signing, Maltsi made a big splash on the international scene in 2004 at the Olympics in Athens.

In the EuroLeague Women, the Greek international has been a reliable scorer, averaging 12.3 points per game in Europe.

She said the aims of Bourges are always high.

"We had high goals and wanted to finish as high as we could," Maltsi said.

Bourges equalled CSKA Volgaburmash with eight victories from 10 games to top Group B, and then swept both USO Mondeville in the eighth-finals and TEO Vilnius in the quarters to reach the Final Four.

"Our main target was to make it to the eight but when we finished with our group, and we saw the results and we were so high (in the standings), we knew we were going to play against an easier opponent," Maltsi said of the Mondeville showdown.

"Of course we wanted to go to the Final Four."

Dumerc has done much of the hard work.

The guard was second on the team in scoring at almost 11 points per game, and has averaged almost five assists and grabs four rebounds per contest.

Forward Vicky Hall has seen just under 29 minutes per game and averaged better than 10 points, while centers Emmeline Ndongue (9.1 pts, 8.1rbs) and Sonja Kireta (8.7pts, 7.7rbs) and veteran small forward Melain (8.4pts, 4.9rbs, 2.8a) have been instrumental.

It's Bourges' defense, Maltsi insists, that wins games.

"This (defense) is our strength," Maltsi said.

"Our coaches are doing a really good job on scouting, so every time we go to play against our opponents, we really are prepared and know what to do.

"On offense, it depends on the day. On defense you can always play hard, do your job and make it difficult on the other team and maybe win the game."

Next up is Ros Casares.

"It's going to be a really hard game," Maltsi said.

"Valencia are very talented, they have very good offensive play. Both teams will be ready, but who is better on the day will win."