There are two things Nuria Martinez wouldn't trade for anything in Russia, where she is in her second season with Dynamo Moscow after leaving the warmer climes of Salamanca.

The Spain international, who turns 24 on Friday, loves the view from her home in downtown Moscow, and she also enjoys being chauffeured around town.

“	Our aim is to go to the Final Four but we know that there are many strong teams who also aspire to get there.	„
Nuria Martinez Dynamo Moscow

"My apartment is on the 17th floor of a building," Martinez says.

"At the beginning, I thought it was too high up but once inside, looking at the view I have from my window, I wouldn't trade it for a flat on a lower floor.

"I can see from far away the centre of Moscow."

Then there is the driving.

While Martinez loves nothing more than to drive her team forward on a fast break, when it comes to getting behind the wheel in Moscow, well, she'd rather not.

"Each player has a driver," she says.

"I get that question asked a lot. The truth is, now that I've been here for some time, I would never think of driving in the streets of Moscow.

"It's just madness. Either you are a very experienced driver or you have to be from here to be able to drive around the streets of Moscow."

One might think, then, if you have to be crazy to drive in a city like this that there would be a lot of smash-ups.

"It's curious though, despite the way they drive, there are not that many accidents," Martinez says.

"Now if I drove, I would have a crash every week."

Dynamo have not enjoyed a smooth ride in the Russian Superleague of late, falling to seven and 10. In the EuroLeague Women, they are in the quarter-finals but will need to play perfect basketball to have a chance against Russian rivals Spartak Moscow Region.

"We are not having the best of seasons so far on the domestic front," Martinez said, "but luckily the league is long and we are improving.

"In the EuroLeague, we are getting good results. Our aim is to go to the Final Four but we know that there are many strong teams who also aspire to get there."