Russia
Spartak releases Lauren Jackson, star will suit up for Canberra
By Cheryl Coward at 24 November, 2009, 10:08 am
Lauren Jackson is close to signing a deal to play with the Canberra Capitals for the rest of the WNBL season. Just last week, Capitals coach Carrie Graf and Jackson’s agent indicated that the WNBA star might stay in her native Australia if enough funds were raised by investors to pay her a salary of $220,000 AUD.
Until early November, Jackson had plans to spend the winter playing for Spartak Moscow under a lucrative contract. But when the club’s owner was assassinated on November 2, doubts about her return to Russia began to surface. She went to Australia to recover from back injuries after the end of the WNBA season.
“She wants to be here—that’s her priority," said Graf Tuesday to ABC Sport. "She wants to stay home and wants to be in Canberra.”
“If we’ve got all the paperwork done tomorrow and can…
Read More >>Spartak Moscow owner Shabtai Kalmanovitch assassinated
By Cheryl Coward at 2 November, 2009, 12:06 pm
Shabtai Kalmanovitch, owner of the highly successful Spartak Moscow women’s basketball team, was shot and killed in Moscow according to reports coming out of Russia and Israel.
Kalmanovitch, known as a high-roller who spent tons on money on his basketball club, giving players high salaries and luxurious perks, was an Israeli immigrant from the former Soviet Union and a former KGB spy. He was caught and sentenced to seven years in prison. He only served five and relocatd to Sierra Leone, making a lucrative living in the diamonds trade according to the Associated Press.
Kalmanovitch was attacked by assailants armed with semi-automatic guns while driving in his Mercedes in the Russian capital according to the Interfax news agency. He was shot at least 20 times.
It is possible that his murder was connected to basketball reported Ynetnews.com. Anatoly Bagmet, the head of the Investigative Committee’s Moscow branch,…
Read More >>Russian women’s team CSKA Moscow in jeopardy of folding
By Cheryl Coward at 16 September, 2009, 10:49 am
WNBA players with plans to play overseas this winter may face the unfortunate prospect of squads in economic turmoil. Women’s basketball team CSKA Moscow announced today that although it is premature to say the team will cease operations, they are currently seeking more sponsors and avenues of financing to keep the team afloat. WNBA players on CSKA Moscow include Janel McCarville, Becky Hammon, Edwige Lawson-Wade, Ann Wauters and Katie Douglas.
A rough translation of the team’s announcement:
JBK CSKA officially confirms that the club is in a difficult situation.
At this time the there are not enough sources of funding due to the global financial crisis, but it is premature to say that the team has ceased to exist. Management of the club is considering various options for partnership with the sole purpose of retaining control of CSKA.
In 2008 Hammon (pictured right), who has a Russian passport, signed a…
Read More >>France beats Russia to win European Women’s Basketball Championship
By Cheryl Coward at 20 June, 2009, 3:50 pm
France overcame a fourth-quarter run by basketball powerhouse Russia to win the European Women’s Basketball Championship, 57-53, in Riga, Latvia.
Center Sandrine Gruda had 12 points and seven rebounds for France. Emmeline Ndongue added 11 points.
French basketball legend Cathy Melain was scheduled to retire from competition this year, but put off leaving the game to compete in this year’s EuroBasket. She finished with two points and six rebounds.
France returned to the final in only their second appearance in the tournament since they won the gold medal in 2001 when they beat Russia, 73-68.
They qualified for the final after beating Belarus, 64-56, in Friday’s semifinals.
In the fourth quarter, Russia did not make it easy for France to maintain the lead they held for the previous three periods. France led at the half, 30-19.
In the fourth quarter, with less than two minutes to go, Russia came within…
Read More >>
