Career: INSEP (France-NF1, 2003-05), Valenciennes (France-LFB, 2005-07)

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She just turned 20 in June, but Sandrine Gruda is already lighting up Europe. In her first two professional seasons, she has already won two French MVP trophies in the French League and was the starting power forward for a EuroLeague Women Final Four team. She also won the 2006 FIBA Europe Young Women’s Player of the Year award, got drafted by the WNBA in 13th position and brought the French national title back to Valenciennes. Next year, she will follow her coaches from Valenciennes to Ekaterinburg, one of Russia’s richest clubs. Most of France’s best players have waited at least until they were 25 before playing abroad but Gruda has proved she’s ready.

This year, along with Samara’s Ann Wauters, she was the only European in the top 10 leading scorers in the EuroLeague (seventh with 17.3 ppg), shooting 56.0 % from the field and 80.6 % from the free throw line. The Cannes native is a great offensive player and could easily become much more than that. Right now Gruda’s main strength is her physical prowess.  She is tall, strong, quick and, according to Bourges coach Pierre Vincent: "Potentially, she's the best I have ever seen".

The scariest part is that she is still a work in progress in every aspect of her game. First she needs to be fully aware of her strengths. Physically and mentally she needs to be tougher, more eager to dominate and more aggressive in general.  She is great when attacking the basket like a forward, but she still needs to work on a few low post moves so she can post up better against smaller defenders. Most of the observers think that, with some work, she could turn into a tremendous small forward.  Putting that work in should not be a problem.  Every coach that Gruda has had is quick to compliment her work ethic and willingness to improve.

The daughter of Ulysse Gruda, a former center for France who was selected to the National Team seven times, Sandrine is very modest.  Asked about her performance at the 2006 World Championship, Gruda said: “I thought that I could have done better." Though the buzz is often times deafening, she never puts herself above the team, which, while admirable, proves that she is not yet a true leader for Valenciennes or the French National Team.  Even as she continues to improve, she has to be more of a leader to be a true superstar. But France has in her an amazing player that could be a force for years to come.