Svetlana Abrosimova is a Russian basketball player that played her college basketball at the University of Connecticut. She has also played in the WNBA, Olympics, and other professional leagues.
College
Abrosimova played four years at UConn; in her freshman season, she averaged 14.5 points and 5.4 rebounds per game on 51% shooting from the field. The Huskies went 28-2 in the regular season but lost to NC State in the NCAA Tournament.
In the 1999-2000 season, Abrosimova helped lead the Huskies to a National Championship; that season, she averaged 13.4 points and 6.2 rebounds per game. In four years at UConn, Abrosimova averaged 14.7 points and 6.4 rebounds.
She scored 1,865 points for the Huskies and made the Big East first-team three times, the Big East player of the year as a sophomore. Abrosimova was also an Associated Press first-team All-American in 1999-2000. In addition, she was an original inductee into the Huskies of Honor in 2006.
WNBA
After an outstanding college career, Abrosimova went on to the WNBA, where she was selected with the seventh overall pick in the 2001 WNBA Draft by the Minnesota Lynx. Abrosimova played seven seasons in Minnesota and, as a rookie, averaged a career-high 13.3 points and 6.7 rebounds.
After her time with the Lynx, Abrosimova went on to play for the Connecticut Sun but played in only six games. Then, in 2009, she took the season off before coming to play with the Seattle Storm in the 2010 and 2012 seasons. In 2010, Abrosimova played a crucial bench role in helping the Storm win the WNBA Championship. The 2012 season was Abrosimova’s final season in the WNBA.
While a junior in college, Abrosimova competed in the Olympics for Russia in 2000. She also helped Russia get a Bronze Medal in 2009.
Abrosimova scored 9.2 points and 5.1 rebounds per game in nine seasons in the WNBA. She shot 39% from the field and 35% from beyond the arc. She was a scrappy player that played hard and knew her role. Abrosimova was fun to watch on the basketball court.
Follow me on Twitter: @raiderway83 and read other amazing articles on Beyond Women’s Sports.
