Women - The CandidatesArguably the best shot-blocker in the European women's game, Anastasiya Verameyenka has been the lynchpin of the Belarus' national team for years. She displayed her importance once more this summer, leading her team in points (13.4), rebounds (9.9), assists (2.8) and - of course - blocks (2.4); as Belarus clinched first place in Group A of the EuroBasket Women 2013 Qualification Round. Following a successful stint with Nadezhda at club level, she made the switch to Turkish giants Fenerbahce. The 1.92m center immediately settled into her role, leading EuroLeague Women in blocks after seven rounds. |
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The all-time leading scorer in the EuroLeague Women returned to action from maternity leave in the 2011/12 season and it was a remarkable comeback with a happy ending. Ann Wauters was the top-performer on a star-studded Ros Casares team that went on to win the EuroLeague Women title in dominant fashion. The Belgian center looked like she had never been away, dominating the paint across the continent. Her move to Galatasaray has guaranteed the Turkish giants of one of the best front courts in the league. |
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Becky Hammon is one of few players who can claim to have fans crazy enough to make the trip from Moscow to Istanbul - by train! On a short-handed Sparta&K roster, Hammon led her team to a solid sixth-place finish in EuroLeague Women. It was the speedy guard's time to shine at the London Olympics, where she was the shining light on a somewhat disappointing Russian team that fell just short of a bronze medal. Her team-best 12.1 points and four assists per-game were topped by her leadership and fighting spirit. |
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2012 was unquestionably the year of Celine Dumerc. Already labelled as one of the prime point guards in Europe, the playmaker fully lived up to her reputation at the London Olympics. She led France in scoring at 14.2 points per-contest, her highest scoring average in a senior competition with Les Bleues. It came at the perfect time, as she successfully manoeuvred France all the way to the Final and a silver medal. The performance caused a huge wave of support for Women's Basketball in France ahead of EuroBasket Women 2013. |
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European Champion, EuroLeague Women Champion, World Championship silver medallist...The list of titles Eva Viteckova has collected in her illustrious career is already long. However, she is not slowing down, which was witnessed at the London Olympics, where she led the Czechs into the Quarter-Finals and was again the leading scorer in a thrilling encounter that saw the Czech Republic fall to eventual silver-medallists France. The tall forward's sweet shooting touch makes her a threat from all over the court, best proven by her 35 points in 27 minutes against Gdynia in February. |
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Frida Eldebrink is not one of the household names when it comes to Player of the Year time. Her performances in the EuroBasket Women 2013 Qualification Round however, were nothing short of outstanding. Coming off a solid EuroLeague Women season with USK Prague, she lit up the scoreboard in the qualifiers with a competition-best 20.9 points per-night. Sweden only registered one loss in the Qualification Round, twice beating Spain behind Eldebrink's 24 and 18 points respectively. Eldebrink has taken her good form into the EuroLeague Women 2012/2013 season where she regularly shines for Bourges. |
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Former shot-putter Isabelle Yacoubou has established herself as one of the biggest threats in the low-post in any competition she enters. She is a reigning EuroLeague Women champion after conquering the title with Ros Casares. At the 2012 Olympic Games she teamed up with Sandrine Gruda to form a formidable post-duo which was one of the main factors in France's run to the silver medal. Yacoubou, now on the books of Sparta&K M.R. Vidnoje is still improving and has become more consistent than in previous years. |
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The leading scorer of EuroBasket Women 2011 returned to EuroLeague Women after a six-year absence and was immediately one of the core players for new-comers CCC Polkowice with 12.4 points and 5.7 rebounds per-night. But it is the national team, where Perovanovic really excels. In the Qualification Round for EuroBasket Women2013, the power forward shined with 15.6 points and 8.1 rebounds per-game, once again leading Montenegro to the Final Round in the most balanced and toughest group. Perovanovic hardly ever takes a bad shot, which is underlined by her impressive shooting percentages. |
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Nevriye Yilmaz, who was already one of the most heralded women's athletes in Turkey, only added further to her reputation in 2012 by propelling Turkey to the London Olympics with a strong showing at the Olympic Qualifying Tournament. Despite Turkey losing their Olympic Quarter-Final to Russia, it could not break the good spirit that is evolving in Turkish women's basketball, an achievement which is largely due to the performances of the 1.92 center. Once she returns from injury, she will enforce the Galatasaray front-court. |
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A dream came true for Sandra Mandir after she steered Croatia to a first-ever appearance at the Olympic games with an outstanding performance at the Olympic Qualifying Tournament in Ankara, Turkey. The do-it-all guard then went on to live the Olympic dream, averaging 14 points, 4.8 rebounds and 2.6 assists per-game in London, all this at the tender age of 35. The late bloomer has not slowed down a bit in the running season, leading Novi Zagreb to a respectable start in their debut EuroLeague Women season. |
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| All WinnersMen
2012: Andrei Kirilenko
2011: Dirk Nowitzki
2010: Milos Teodosic
2009: Pau Gasol
2008: Pau Gasol
2007: Andrei Kirilenko
2006: Theo Papaloukas
2005: Dirk Nowitzki Women
2012: Celine Dumerc
2011: Alba Torrens
2010: Hana Horáková
2009: Sandrine Gruda
2008: Maria Stepanova
2007: Anete Jekabsone-Zogota
2006: Maria Stepanova
2005: Maria Stepanova Young Men
2012: Jonas Valanciunas
2011: Jonas Valanciunas
2010: Jan Vesely
2009: Ricky Rubio
2008: Ricky Rubio
2007: Ricky Rubio
2006: Rudy Fernandez
2005: Nikolaos Zisis Young Women
2012: Alina Iagupova
2011: Emma Meesseman
2010: Nika Baric
2009: Alba Torrens
2008: Gintare Petronyte
2007: Sonja Petrovic
2006: Sandrine Gruda
2005: Anete Jekabsone |
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