My fantastic 5 Europeans who have been shining in the NCAA
NEWCASTLE (Paul Nilsen’s Women’s Basketball Worldwide) – The tradition of overseas players making a splash in the College game Stateside has continued during the NCAA season.
There are so many worthy candidates to mention, but here are five who have not only impressed in the NCAA, but have used FIBA youth competitions to help develop their game.
Kitija Laksa - University of South Florida and Latvia
WHAT A NIGHT!
— USF W. Basketball (@USFWBB) December 16, 2017
Kitija Laksa drops 40 points and finishes 11-for-12 from behind the arc. Yes, 11 👌s. #Laksafor3 #ncaaw pic.twitter.com/hPEKKfZiSs
For those who have watched Laksa since she first came onto the FIBA youth scene, it is no surprise she has been so influential in the NCAA. This is a player who has already played in three FIBA EuroBasket Women Final Round tournaments, at the age of 21. Her wing play in Prague last year helped shoot her country to the FIBA Women's Basketball World Cup 2018. Now she is cementing her already lofty reputation with some scintillating numbers and accomplishments in the College game. She is averaging almost 20 points a game in a nice USF season and most famously broke the NCAA record by sinking a staggering 11 triples in a row. The junior sharp-shooter was also named to the prestigious Ann Meyers Drysdale Award Preseason Watch List - one of 20 candidates for top shooting guard in the College game. She also grabbed National Player of the Week back in December too.
Eleanna Christinaki – Maryland and Greece
Another player who has made a breakthrough at the senior FIBA level with her country. Christinaki is one of a handful of performers labelled as being 'The future of the Greece senior national team.' She showed glimpses of her potential at the Final Round in Prague last year and shot the lights out in the FIBA Women's EuroBasket 2019 Qualifiers in November with a pivotal, game-winning 18 points against Great Britain. Stateside, she is still making a splash with Maryland after transferring from the University of Florida and scoring 32 points on her debut. That has set the tone for great productivity and a great record so far, for her school. She also brings passion, fun and noise as a teammate too - what is there not to love?
Maite Cazorla – Oregon and Spain
Civil War victory.
— GoDucks (@GoDucks) January 25, 2018
First place in the Pac-12.
Keep it rolling, @OregonWBB.#GoDucks pic.twitter.com/KzqOIYVhlW
Even if there is never any of the usual hyperbole used for some other players when it comes to Cazorla, the rather vanilla headline descriptions of 'solid' and 'reliable' should not be seen as anything other than a major tick in the box. The Oregon favorite is an engine for her team who oozes smarts and leadership on the hardwood. Typically Spanish in her game, the junior guard is now a main pillar for this top-ranked school. The All-American candidates alongside her and bigger 'stars' do their thing, but the one constant comes from Cazorla. Her efficiency and consistency mean, that from a coaches' standpoint, she is probably the first name down on the team-sheet. The Spaniard returned across the Pond last summer, having sealed a third straight title at youth level for her country and a regular senior berth looks more than likely in the next year or two.
Satou Sabally – Oregon and Germany
Make way for Satou Sabally, she leads all #Pac12WBB freshmen in scoring and claims her fourth Freshman of the Week honor: https://t.co/wglL2zd5k2 pic.twitter.com/vzREFdM4HC
— Pac-12 Network (@Pac12Network) January 29, 2018
With her height, athleticism and shooting range, you can never truly feel it is a defensive assignment you are on top of as an opponent - if the name on top of that mission reads Satou Sabally. She is another member of the exciting Oregon program which could feasibly evolve into something seriously special moving forward if the current momentum continues. The German is a big talent and has shown that in EuroCup Women and in national team colors. The NCAA is learning to respect her game, because that is now four Pac-12 Freshman of the Week awards to her name, and she is also leading the Freshman scoring charts in her Conference. Oh, and her younger sibling Nyara will be joining her next year. Life is good right now for big sister!
Digna Strautmane – Syracuse and Latvia
Congratulations, Digna! Second week in a row that the Orange claim @accwbb Rookie of the Honors!
— 'Cuse Women's Hoops (@CuseWBB) January 29, 2018
Our rookies are doing work 💪
READ MORE: https://t.co/jh8aCNsd62 pic.twitter.com/nTe53mUBJC
Latvia has been a conveyor belt of talent for a number of years when it comes to nice NCAA Division 1 level players and even if Strautmane has not yet been fast-tracked to the senior team for her country as many had predicted, time is on her side. She has been a near-unstoppable force at the FIBA youth level in a Latvia vest and no doubt buoyed by the impact made by her compatriots such as Laksa who has shown that breakthroughs are possible. Even if the FIBA Women's Basketball World Cup 2018 comes too soon, Latvia are co-hosting FIBA Women's EuroBasket 2019 and that would be the goal. For now though, Strautmane is focused on showcasing her skills with Syracuse where her starting status and almost 30 minutes per game, tells you all you need to know. She has also just landed consecutive ACC Rookie of the Week awards! She followed older sister Paula to the NCAA [she has starred with Quinnipiac] and is creating a name for herself in her own right. Expect those numbers each game to steadily climb - and high!
Finally, props to the many other European candidates and I will feature some of those another time!
Paul Nilsen
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