RUS - Hammon looks set for Russia return

ISTANBUL (Olympics) - Becky Hammon has a very good chance of playing for Russia again when the London Games are staged this summer.

A naturalized guard from the United States, Hammon helped the national team capture the bronze medal at the Beijing Olympics and then played on the silver-medal winning side at the EuroBasket Women in Riga the next year.

Hammon also played for Russia when they fell to Belarus in a major upset at the 2010 FIBA World Championship in the Czech Republic, but did not feature last summer at the EuroBasket in Poland when Russia won the gold medal without her.

In an interview with FIBA.com on Friday, Russia coach Boris Sokolovsky said: "The girls like Becky and she's in the preliminary squad. She had a very good year last year in the WNBA.

"If everything goes okay in the preparations, she'll be in the team."

Hammon averaged 16.3 points per game last year for a San Antonio Silver Stars side that reached the WNBA Semi-Finals.

She is now playing for Sparta&K Moscow Region and is being watched by Sokolovsky at the EuroLeague Women Final Eight in Istanbul.

Hammon was asked if she was going to be busy with the national team again this summer.

She smiled and said: "That's the plan."

FIBA