WNBA players say life in Russia was lucrative but lonely

” Playing there was not simple since the lifestyle and the way of living is a lot various than what you experience in other locations in Europe and America,” said DeLisha Milton-Jones, one of the very first marquee American gamers to play in Russia in the early 2000s.” The extremes of the weather– its pitch black dark at 5 p.m. I had to wear my huge coat warming up often considering that it was minus-40 degrees outside,” stated Milton-Jones, who played for UMKC Ekaterinburg– the very same group as Griner.The former All-American at Florida, WNBA All-Star and two-time WNBA champ with the Los Angeles Sparks stated the choice to play in Russia was merely a “business one. The clubs likewise offer players extra days off during breaks, knowing they have longer travel back to the U.S., if they go home.Apartments offered by the groups are comparable with what the gamers are accustomed to in the WNBA, consisting of Western-style kitchen areas and laundry centers, and they likewise have access to streaming services and video calls.Milton-Jones, 47, played in other European leagues but said Russia paid the most at the time.” Back in the day, you had to go to the cigarette shop and buy the scratch-off cards and you d type that number in the phone and it says you have 25 minutes to talk,” she said. She contended for Nika Syktyvkar, a group based in Russias remote European north.Turner stated Syktyvkar didnt have a shopping mall or lots of places to go, but it had a McDonalds– although she didnt go there often.She typically remained at house and streamed motion pictures and shows on her computer system.

” The extremes of the weather condition– its pitch black dark at 5 p.m. I had to use my huge coat warming up often given that it was minus-40 degrees outside,” stated Milton-Jones, who played for UMKC Ekaterinburg– the same group as Griner.The previous All-American at Florida, WNBA All-Star and two-time WNBA champion with the Los Angeles Sparks stated the choice to play in Russia was merely a “business one. The clubs also give gamers extra days off during breaks, understanding they have longer travel back to the U.S., if they go home.Apartments provided by the teams are comparable with what the gamers are accustomed to in the WNBA, including Western-style cooking areas and laundry centers, and they also have access to streaming services and video calls.Milton-Jones, 47, played in other European leagues but stated Russia paid the most at the time.” Back in the day, you had to go to the cigarette store and buy the scratch-off cards and you d type that number in the phone and it says you have 25 minutes to talk,” she said.