Svetlana Abrosimova

Svetlana Olegovna Abrosimova (Russian: Светлана Олеговна Абросимова, born 9 July 1980) is a Russian basketball player who has played in college, the Olympics, and in professional leagues. She most recently played for the Seattle Storm in the Women's National Basketball Association (WNBA). She is usually called by her nickname, "Svet" or "Sveta".

Svetlana Abrosimova
Abrosimova in 2012
Personal information
Born (1980-07-09) 9 July 1980
Leningrad, Russian SFSR, Soviet Union
NationalityRussian
Listed height6 ft 2 in (1.88 m)
Listed weight169 lb (77 kg)
Career information
CollegeUConn (1997–2001)
WNBA draft2001 / Round: 1 / Pick: 7th overall
Selected by the Minnesota Lynx
PositionSmall forward
Career history
2001–2007Minnesota Lynx
2008Connecticut Sun
2010, 2012Seattle Storm
Career highlights and awards
Stats at WNBA.com
Stats at Basketball-Reference.com
Medals
Representing  Russia
Women's Basketball
Olympic Games
2008 BeijingTeam Competition
World Championships
1998 GermanyTeam
2006 BrazilTeam
European Championships
1999 PolandTeam
2005 TurkeyTeam
2007 ItalyTeam
2009 LatviaTeam
2011 PolandTeam

Abrosimova was born in Leningrad, Russian SFSR, Soviet Union (today St. Petersburg, Russia), to Oleg and Ludmilla Abrosimov. Her father Oleg works as a welder in a shipyard and her older sister, Tatiana, was a professional ballroom dancer. While attending school she was trained for the then Soviet Olympic team. She was named the MVP of the 1996 European Basketball Championship (also known as Eurobasket), averaging 18 points, six rebounds and three assists per game. She was also a member of all-star teams that won the 1995 and 1996 European Championship.

Abrosimova was a member of the Russian national basketball team that placed sixth at the 2000 Summer Olympics and won a silver medal in the 1998 Basketball World Championship.[1][2]

College

In her freshman season (1997-1998) at the University of Connecticut, Abrosimova's team went 28–2 in the regular season, losing only to Tennessee and Rutgers. The team went on to win the Big East Tournament, avenging the loss to Rutgers by beating Rutgers in the tournament championship. The team won their first three NCAA games, but Abrosimova was injured in the regional final against NC State, and the team lost, ending their season.[3]

After a standout collegiate career, which included an NCAA national collegiate title in 2000, Abrosimova was selected in the first round (seventh overall pick) by the Minnesota Lynx during the 2001 WNBA Draft despite a foot injury. She was a 3-time Kodak first team All-American while at UConn. Svetlana was a member of the inaugural class (2006) of inductees to the University of Connecticut women's basketball "Huskies of Honor" recognition program.[4] She was unable to attend the ceremony in 2006 to honor her. However, UConn inducted the 2001–02 team into the Huskies of Honor on 29 December 2011. Abrosimova was a graduate assistant on that team so was invited to the ceremonies. She flew in from Russia to be part of the ceremony, and the school reprised her 2006 induction, covering up the plaque with her player number(25), then unveiling it as she was introduced.[5]

International

While still a junior in college, Abrosimova played for her native Russian Olympic team at the 2000 Summer Olympics, where her team finished sixth. She won a bronze medal at the 2008 Olympics.[1][2]

Professional

Like many other WNBA players, Abrosimova has played in various professional teams and leagues during the offseason. Following the Olympics she was signed by the WNBA's Connecticut Sun for the remainder of the 2008 season.

She currently plays for Ekaterinburg in her native Russia during the 2008–09 WNBA off-season.[6]

Abrosimova helped the Seattle Storm win their second championship in 2010.[7]

UConn statistics
Svetlana Abrosimova Statistics[8] at University of Connecticut
Year G FG FGA PCT 3FG 3FGA PCT FT FTA PCT REB AVG A TO B S MIN PTS AVG
1997–98 37 191 372 0.513 34 80 0.425 122 184 0.663 235 5.4 114 158 7 90 972 538 14.5
1998–99 34 204 425 0.480 38 101 0.376 118 186 0.634 226 6.6 127 132 6 91 888 564 16.6
1999-00 37 181 369 0.491 43 108 0.398 91 122 0.746 229 6.2 154 105 8 64 1051 496 13.4
2000–01 19 100 186 0.538 26 58 0.448 41 58 0.707 124 6.5 78 33 0 54 466 267 14.1
Totals 127 676 1352 0.5 141 347 0.406 372 550 0.676 814 6.4 473 428 21 299 3377 1865 14.7

See also

References
  1. Svetlana Abrosimova.FIBA Europe
  2. Svetlana Abrosimova. sports-reference.com
  3. Goldberg, Jeff (2011). Bird at the Buzzer: UConn, Notre Dame, and a Women's Basketball Classic. Doris Burke. Lincoln: University of Nebraska Press. p. 6. ISBN 978-0-8032-2411-7.
  4. "Women's Basketball 1995 National Championship Team to be Recognized as "Huskies of Honor"". Archived from the original on 7 August 2009. Retrieved 24 July 2009.
  5. Altavilla, John (29 December 2011). "Geno Auriemma's Greatest Hits". Hartford Courant. Retrieved 31 December 2011.
  6. Offseason 2008–09: Overseas Roster Archived 25 May 2011 at the Wayback Machine
  7. Voepel, Mechelle (16 September 2010). "Second title even sweeter for Storm". ESPN. Archived from the original on 21 September 2010. Retrieved 17 September 2010.
  8. "UConn Media Guide" (PDF). p. 139. Retrieved 3 September 2011.
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