This year, Maria Klyundikova is competing for the championship in the WNBA and working to reach her optimal form.

Maria Klyundikova (formerly Vadeeva), the MVP of the most recent Premier League season, is finding her role with the Minnesota team, which she joined during the WNBA regular season. In August, the Russian center scored 8 points and grabbed 4 rebounds in a game against Las Vegas, and on Wednesday, August 6, she helped her team defeat Seattle in a tight finish (8 points and 5 rebounds). After this win, the Lynx (which also features another Russian player, Olairi Kosu) further strengthened their lead in the regular season with 25 wins and only five losses.

In an interview with Sport-Express, Maria spoke about her special motivation in games against Los Angeles, popularity in Minneapolis, and shared her opinion that WNBA players are right to fight for higher salaries.

— What’s the weather like in Minnesota?

— We’re currently on the road in Seattle, and it’s quite chilly here (the interview took place on Monday, August 4). It’s about 18 degrees Celsius, it’s windy. In Minnesota, it’s warm — about 25–27 degrees on average. By the way, the weather is very similar to Yekaterinburg. Yes, maybe it’s a bit warmer in summer, but fall and winter are more or less the same. And overall, the city reminds me of Yekaterinburg. It’s very calm, not a party city. That suits me well.

— Is it true that there are problems with public transportation there?

— Honestly, I don’t know. We were given a car, so we get around in it.

— Could you tell us more about your move to the Lynx?

— When I was removed from the Sparks roster, we decided to take a break in Los Angeles. My husband, my brother Ivan, and I went to Disneyland, Universal, and saw other attractions in the state. One day, I got a call from my agent. He asked if I wanted to join Minnesota, and I said yes.

— Did you consider going back to Russia?

— If no offers had come in for a few more weeks, I probably would have. But I wouldn’t have made that decision from home — such a long flight with a child is a tough trip.

— Do you have a nanny helping you?

— Yes, the nanny was with us, but she’s left now. My husband and I are managing on our own.

— Looking at your results, it seems like Minnesota is the main favorite this season.

— I agree. We really want to win the title.

— You’re not spending as much time on the court as you used to in Russia. How do you explain that? More competition?

— The coach puts a lot of emphasis on defense. Every mistake on defense gets a sharp comment. And while the starting five get a bit more leeway, for the second unit — two mistakes and you’re on the bench. (Laughs.) You can feel the split between the starters and the bench players, but we still stay united as a team. Everyone fights for each other.

— Is there any hazing?

— No, not at all.

— Do you get along easily with the coach and teammates when it comes to English?

— After I had my baby, I didn’t use English for a whole year and felt like I forgot everything. It’s better now, but there’s a lot of slang in our team — even in basketball terms. I’m learning it little by little, and the girls always explain things to me. It’s great that timeouts here last three minutes — I can always ask again if I didn’t understand something.

— Can you give an example of that basketball slang?

— I doubt it would make sense to anyone. They change words so opponents don’t understand their plays. It wasn’t like that in Los Angeles.

— You mentioned you barely have any free time. Too many practices?

— We really do practice a lot. There are hardly any days off here. The day after a game, there’s a session for those who didn’t play much — we work on skills, technique, and defense. Personally, I think it’s great. I forgot a few things during maternity leave, and this kind of intensity helps both the body and mind remember the movements.

— And what about Olairi Kosu?

— It’s the same for her. It’s her first experience overseas, after all. She’s developing well, both in games and in training. I’m really glad we’re here together.

— How long does each practice last?

— About three hours. We start in the weight room, then do some shooting drills, and spend about 1.5 to 2 hours on teamwork. Individual sessions last about an hour and a half, and when we’re on the road — around an hour.    

— How is your body responding to this level of workload?

— I’ve lost about 3–4 kilos since arriving in Minnesota. The workload here is really intense — a lot of running drills. But again, it’s actually a good thing for me.

— Overall, was coming back after pregnancy difficult?

— If I think back to the early stages, it was hard to get back in shape and recover. But I worked a lot on myself, so by the time preseason started, I felt confident. That said, during the season, I dealt with a bunch of minor injuries — one thing after another, at one point I caught a cold. I never really felt like I could breathe freely or fully settle in. It wasn’t until the Premier League playoffs that I more or less started to feel like myself again — though not 100%.    

— What do you think is still missing compared to how you were before maternity leave?

— I’ve lost some explosiveness. You go to make a move, but your body feels like it’s moving in slow motion. I’ll be honest — I’m still searching for my optimal physical form.

I think I can be more consistent. There are still moments when I just crash — no energy left. But I’m putting in the work: lots of time in the weight room, extra sessions.

— Do you think Kosu is physically ready for the WNBA?

— Absolutely. Ola’s a machine.

— The main star of Minnesota is Napheesa Collier. What can you say about her?

— I played against her at the Youth World Championship, but back then she didn’t really stand out. Now, of course, she’s a superstar. She makes minimal movements but still manages to be extremely effective on defense. That comes down to confidence, technique, and understanding of the game and her teammates’ abilities. When I watch her from the outside, it feels like I could do the same. But for now, it’s not coming together in practice. Right now in the WNBA, I feel like a young player who came here to learn and gain experience.

— Does that frustrate you?

— Not at all. On the contrary — I’m happy to be around a player like Napheesa. I’m trying to learn as much as I can from her.

— The second-leading scorer on Minnesota is Kayla McBride.

— I’ve known Kayla since her time with UMMC (she played for the Yekaterinburg club in the 2018/19 season). She’s a great shooter and hits a lot of threes. She helps me a lot in practice and supports me during games. I really enjoy running pick-and-rolls with her. Kayla can both make the right pass and finish the play on her own from beyond the arc.

— What can you say about the level of physical contact in the WNBA?

— Honestly, the level of physicality differs significantly from that of the Premier League. The referees here let you play rough.

— Can you give an example?

— If I make contact with someone in Russia, it’s usually called a foul right away. But here, I can apply strong pressure, fight hard for position to get the ball, and the referees just let it go. Sometimes even really rough fouls get overlooked. Girls even get into fights over stuff like that.

— Was it hard to adjust?

— It definitely took some time. At first, I’d think, “That’s a foul,” and stop playing. But now, I compete until the end on every possession. I try not to react to the roughness or hits on the arms. I wouldn’t say the officiating here is better — it’s just a completely different approach.

— Which one do you prefer?

— I actually like physical contact. You get stronger in that kind of environment.

— Who’s the toughest player you’ve ever faced?

— I’d probably say Aliyah Boston from Indiana. In the Commissioner’s Cup Final, she completely dominated our frontcourt. And in Washington, there’s Kiki Iriafen — she’s really tough.

— Your former team, the Sparks, isn’t doing great this season (12-15). Did you feel any sense of satisfaction playing against them?

— It wasn’t about satisfaction. I just came into those games with extra motivation. I really wanted to give it my all against LA.

— Off the court, does Olairi ever panic or call you like, “Masha, help, I have a problem!”?

— No, she’s calm and handles things well. Her mom is actually with her now. Honestly, I think I’m more of the panicker between us!

— But why you? You’ve been living on your own for a while, you’re a young mom — nothing to panic about, right?

— I don’t know! Sometimes I look at the schedule and have no clue where some of the rooms are. They just write the meeting room name, and I haven’t got used to that yet. So I call her like, “Ola, where is this? What does that even mean?!” She’s been with the team longer, so she knows her way around. In moments like that, I can get a little overwhelmed. I’m getting better now, though — more relaxed.

— So… are you forgetful? Like, “Masha the forgetful”?

— Not really. I’m just a bit anxious sometimes. Like, I’ll second-guess myself — “Did I turn off the iron? Did I close the tap?”

— Fans always love hearing about the team’s behind-the-scenes life. Is there anyone on the team who’s hard to talk to?

— No, not at all. And honestly, I would never say that about anyone. Everyone’s different, but they’re all easygoing. As for me, I’m a bit shy. Like when they start dancing…

— At team events? Or just generally?

— No, not just parties. They just love to dance — in the locker room, on the court. And I’m like, “Ugh, I really don’t want to dance.” Singing, dancing, speaking loudly — that’s just how it is here.

— And what about Olairi? Is she more outgoing?

— I’m not sure. The girls often start something and tell us to join in. But we’re definitely not the ones who fire up the crowd on our own.

— Are the state of Minnesota and the city of Minneapolis passionate about sports?

— Y-E-A-H! The fans really live and breathe sports — you can see it from the outside. People might come up to you in a café and start talking about basketball, everyone’s very friendly. It’s a kind of heartfelt kindness, pure sports support.

— Do people recognize you in the city?

— It depends. In Yekaterinburg, of course, it happens more often. Ola and I aren’t as well-known as, say, Napheesa. Fans recognize her everywhere, but she’s very calm about it. She’s not arrogant at all. She really respects other people.

— Have you had any conflicts?

— What kind of conflicts would I have? I’m a non-confrontational person. Everything’s good in that regard — I don’t have any issues with my teammates.

— Would you say the Caitlin Clark phenomenon is real?

— With her — definitely. From an outsider’s perspective, I feel like she’s even kind of suffering from all the nonstop attention. The intense focus makes her want to hide.

— But the league is thrilled about her, right?

— Absolutely.

 

— Are the games against Indiana always sold out?

— Yes, but if she doesn’t play, fans get really upset.

— Do people come out to see Sabrina Ionescu and A’ja Wilson too?

— They come to see Las Vegas. Everyone supports their idols. Sabrina is a very exciting player — she makes some crazy shots.

— Could you please tell us what that protest about revenue distribution at the All-Star Game was about?

— I don’t know, we actually missed that protest. It was in Indiana.

— Was it discussed in your locker room?

— No, I didn’t hear anything about it.

— Do you think women’s basketball truly deserves higher revenue?

— I think so, yes. Of course, men’s basketball draws bigger crowds and there’s more demand for it — it’s obviously a business. I get the point, but men’s and women’s basketball are different sports. It’s not about making the income equal — it’s about increasing it. We put a lot of our health and energy into our work. So yes, we should be paid more.

— Do you get paid well enough in Russia?

— Tricky question. I think I earn what I deserve for the health I sacrifice and the short career we have. I won’t speak for others.

— Is it true that the WNBA is becoming more and more popular?

— Yes, absolutely. New teams are being added, and fans are coming out more often.

— There are a lot of other professional teams in Minneapolis. Have you been to any other games? Though now, besides baseball, not much is going on.

— I went to a baseball game in Los Angeles. I thought it would be boring, but it turned out to be really cool. The way the players move when the batter hits the ball into the field — it’s such an energetic game, but also kind of chill at the same time.

— Have you made it to a Minnesota Twins game?

— No, we just don’t have time at all.

— Do you see much sports advertising around the city?

— Yes, there is some. There was one with Napheesa, and one with Bridget Carleton. When I arrived, there was a Timberwolves ad, but then their season ended and it was taken down.

 

 

   Source: https://m.sport-express.net/basketball/russia/reviews/egipet-rossiya-obzor-tovarischeskogo-matcha-mu....