14 Ana DABOVIC (Serbia)
03/03/2015
Paul Nilsen's Women's Basketball Worldwide
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Sparks' signings are intriguing

NEWCASTLE (Paul Nilsen's Women's Basketball Worldwide) - Recently installed Los Angeles Sparks head coach Brian Agler has a history of utilising non-American players in the WNBA.

The club recently opted to hand an opportunity to a number of 'import' players who, subject to impressing at camp and presumably actually committing to the WNBA over their respective nations (or coming to a mutually beneficial arrangement), would suit up for the Californian franchise.

Top of the list and with the best chance of making it onto the roster is Opals center Marianna Tolo.

I'm a seriously big fan of hers and feel that even after an incredible couple of years when her game has matured immeasurably, there is still so much untapped potential at the highest level.

Most fans Stateside in particular will have probably caught some of her action for Australia at the FIBA World Championship for Women last year in Turkey when she led the team in scoring and did a great job on the glass.

Her performance against Turkey in the Third-Place game was particularly impressive.

There is also plenty of online highlights in EuroLeague Women with Tango Bourges where she has spent the last couple of years establishing herself into one of the most powerful and hard-to-guard players around.

With a great attitude, appetite for hard work and ability to get down the floor reasonably well, it is still her size which gives her the overall edge and makes her such an appealing prospect for the Sparks.

She can be a nightmare to guard when she is on her game, because there are simply not that many players around with her physical frame.

Tolo is never going to be the kind of face-up player that is often preferred, but she is efficient and her range is evolving.

Ironically, she is actually being outshone by her Bourges team-mate Helena Ciak right now - a player who debuted with France last year at the Worlds.

The pair are quite a formidable combination.

Meanwhile Serbia swingman Ana Dabovic always poses a persistent offensive danger and she also played at the FIBA World Championship for Women last year.

While essentially a volume-shooter with a patchy percentage, she has been given free range for most of her international career and also at club level to fire freely from downtown.

If the numbers don't stack up, it is important to note that she does have the physical and aggressive approach which would perhaps suit the WNBA and as a streaky scorer off the bench, there are worst options out there.

She is actually very adept at finishing at the hoop and isn't all about what happens from behind the three-point line.

Her biggest issue may be coming off an under-par season in Turkey with struggling Ormanspor and finding some rhythm when she pitches up Stateside - so will want to find some form as the TKBL schedule slides to a halt in coming months.

She is the second bet to make the final roster.

Which leaves Elina Babkina,who hasn't played for 95 percent of the season in Europe.

She has been in Orenburg with Nadezhda and just recently switched to Girona who are fighting for the Liga Femenina title in Spain. She needed to make that move desperately to get some competitive court time under her belt.

Babkina was the poster girl for Latvian basketball from a young age when great things were expected.

She divides opinion in terms of her ability and influence. Perhaps because those who remain unconvinced always refer to her being a tweener guard.

However, I guess she is essentially a point-guard who can shoot the three proficiently.

She has been a leader with her national team for such a long time and yet is still only 25-years-old and maybe her peak is still to come.

I guess you could call this pick by the Sparks as something of a wild card, but in the same way as another European (and indeed Nadezhda) player in Anna Cruz was never nailed on to make the grade, you never know.

Good luck to Marianna, Ana and Elina - it's always good from a neutral perspective to see WNBA teams with an eclectic mix of players.

Paul Nilsen

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Paul Nilsen

Paul Nilsen

As a women's basketball specialist for FIBA and FIBA Europe, Paul Nilsen eats, sleeps and breathes women’s hoops and is incredibly passionate about promoting the women’s game - especially at youth level. In Women’s Basketball Worldwide, Paul scours the globe for the very latest from his beloved women’s basketball family.