Svetlana Olegovna Abrosimova is a Russian basketball player who has played in college, the Olympics, and in professional leagues.
Background
Abrosimova was born in Leningrad, Russian SFSR, Soviet Union (today Street St. Petersburg, Russia), to Oleg and Ludmilla Abrosimov. Her father Oleg works as a welder in a shipyard and her older sister, Tatiana, was a professional ballroom dancer.
Education
In her freshman season, Abrosimova"s team went 28–2 in the regular season, losing only to Tennessee and Rutgers. The team went on to win the Big East Tournament, avenging the loss to Rutgers by beating Rutgers in the tournament championship. The team won their first three National Collegiate Athletic Association games, but Abrosimova was injured in the regional final against North Carolina State, and the team lost, ending their season.
After a standout collegiate career at the, which included an National Collegiate Athletic Association national collegiate title in 2000, Abrosimova was selected in the first round (seventh overall pick) by the Minnesota Lynx during the 2001 Women's National Basketball Association Draft despite a foot injury.
She was a 3-time Kodak first team All-American while at UConn.
Svetlana was a member of the inaugural class (2006) of inductees to the University of Connecticut women"s basketball "Huskies of Honor" recognition program She was unable to attend the ceremony in 2006 to honor her.
However, UConn inducted the 2001-2002 team into the Huskies of Honor on December 29, 2011. Abrosimova was a graduate assistant on that team so was invited to the ceremonies.
She flew in from Russia to be part of the ceremony, and the school reprised her 2006 induction, covering up the plaque with her player number(25), then unveiling it as she was introduced.
Career
She most recently played for the Seattle Storm in the Women's National Basketball Association. She is usually called by her nickname, "Svet" or "Sveta". While attending Petrogradskoi N86 (high school), Abrosimova was trained for the then Soviet Olympic team She was named the Most Valuable Player of the 1996 European Basketball Championship (also known as Eurobasket), averaging 18 points, six rebounds and three assists per game.
While still a junior in college, Abrosimova played for her native Russian Olympic team at the 2000 Summer Olympics in Sydney, Australia, where her team finished sixth.
Abrosimova played on the 2008 Russian Olympic team and earned a bronze medal. Like many other Women's National Basketball Association players, Abrosimova has played in various professional teams and leagues during the offseason.
Following the Olympics she was signed by the Women's National Basketball Association"s Connecticut Sun for the remainder of the 2008 season. She is currently playing for Ekaterinburg in her native Russia during the 2008-2009 Women's National Basketball Association off-season.
Membership
Svetlana was a member of the inaugural class (2006) of inductees to the University of Connecticut women"s basketball "Huskies of Honor" recognition program