Strib: Masha Adashchyck From Minsk to Dinkytown to Pursue a Basketball Dream

[Ignatius L Hoops]

Masha Adashchyk has gone from Minsk to Dinkytown to pursue dream of playing basketball in America

Belarusian Masha Adashchyk getting more minutes at U near end of her senior year.

www.startribune.com

Kent Youngblood:

The first time Gophers women’s basketball coach Lindsay Whalen called Masha Adashchyk, the conversation came with a little surprise.

Adashchyk is a native of Minsk, Belarus. She was playing junior college ball at Panola College in Carthage, Texas — a small town that is more than 5,000 miles away from her home, both literally and culturally.

“I said, ‘Hello, coach,’” Adashchyk recalled. “And she answered me in Russian. ‘Hello, how are you?’ I’m like, Russian?”

Guess there was some extra benefits to Whalen playing for years over there during the WNBA offseason.

With the Gophers, Adashchyk has seen her playing time increase since Destiny Pitts left the team. A 5-11 guard who plays bigger on the defensive end, she has become a regular part of the rotation and has made six three-pointers (on just 11 attempts) over the past five games.

But her stay here will be relatively short. Adashchyk transferred here as a senior, so it will be only for one season. But how she got from Belarus to Minnesota, via Texas, is an interesting story. And she hasn’t wasted any time making a mark here

 

[whalenfan]

She's a senior? Is that right? I thought you could only play juco ball through ur soph year.

 

[Ignatius L Hoops]

There was a gentleman in a Panola College T Shirt behind the Gopher bench during last night's game.

 

[BBJones]

I read somewhere that she lost a year of eligibility as a result of her schooling back home. When the Gophers recruited her, I think they believed that she would have two years with them, but the NCAA decided otherwise.

 

[Katogopher]

She is very good defensively and she does play “bigger” in that regard, too bad only 1 year with the team, would have like to see her if she refined her skills offensively