FRA – Gruda – "Let’s call it THE challenge for France"

EKATERINBURG (2010 FIBA World Championship for Women) - No player in Europe in recent years has embraced challenges like France’s young center, Sandrine Gruda.

Honored as the 2006 FIBA Europe Young Women’s Player of the Year winner, Gruda eventually left her homeland to play for Russian juggernauts UMMC Ekaterinburg and also crossed the Atlantic to compete in the WNBA with the Connecticut Sun.

She has developed into one of the game’s finest players.

Last summer was probably her biggest achievement as she led France to the gold medal at the EuroBasket Women.

Gruda and the French could not have asked for a tougher draw for the 2010 FIBA World Championship for Women to be staged in the Czech Republic next year.

Les Bleues will go up against the United States, Greece and Senegal in Group B and if they finish in the top three, Gruda and Co will then go up against the best three sides from a Group A that includes Australia, China, Belarus and Canada in the Eight-Finals.

When asked about the draw, the 22-year-old Gruda wrote in an email to FIBA.com: “Big Group B, big Eight-Final round - I think it’s gonna be tough for us, even though we are excited to see how we will handle it.”

Gruda added: “Let’s call it THE challenge for FRANCE.”

The center averaged 15.4 points and 7.7 rebounds this summer for France in Latvia while for UMMC in the EuroLeague Women, Gruda is pouring in 8.6 points and grabbing 4.8 rebounds per contest.

In the WNBA last season, Gruda averaged 13.5 points and 6.3 rebounds.

FIBA