News
“You can't deceive basketball: if you give your all and love the game, results will come with any roster”
On January 29, just one day before the start of the FONBET Russian Cup “Final Four” in Yekaterinburg, a press conference was held with the head coaches of the participating teams.
The “Final Four” of the 22nd edition of the cup will feature the top four teams of the current season. This year, they are once again the hosts of the tournament, UMMC (11-time Russian Cup winners), Dynamo Kursk (5-time trophy holders), the young team MBA-MGUSiT that has already won bronze in the tournament, and the national cup silver medalists Nika-Luzales.
“Final Four” Schedule
January 30, Thursday
Semi-finals:
14:30 (MSK): Nika-Luzales (Syktyvkar) vs Dynamo (Kursk)
17:30 (MSK): UMMC (Yekaterinburg) vs MBA-MGUSiT (Moscow)
February 1, Saturday
11:00 (MSK): Third place game
14:00 (MSK): Final
According to the results of the “Final Four”, three finalists will receive prizes from the FONBET Russian Cup prize fund. This year, the prize amounts have been increased: the winner will receive 2,000,000 rubles, the silver medalist will get 1,500,000 rubles, and the bronze medalist will earn 1,000,000 rubles.
Dmitrii Donskov, UMMC Head Coach (Yekaterinburg):
- How do you cope with the emotional tension before important games?
Our team consists of players with a lot of experience, many of whom are called up to the national teams, so decisive games are not something unfamiliar to them - they know how to handle it. Sometimes, before important games, we can have a fun training session or play interesting games to relieve the tension and ease the atmosphere.
- In your opinion, how does the approach to preparing for regular season games, where mistakes are still possible, differ from preparing for cup games, where there’s no room for error - “lose and you’re out”? And how ready is the team for the “Final Four” in terms of player health?
You’re absolutely right, cup games are completely different in terms of intensity, and I’m sure you know that in sports, especially team sports, there are always surprises - when a lower-ranked team wins and progresses further in the cup. But I think the mindset depends on understanding and motivation. We are probably in the toughest situation, because we have to defend our title and the right to keep the Russian Cup. The coaching staff’s task is to motivate the players for the upcoming semi-final. The previous game against MBA-MGUSiT, despite the large score difference, could play a bad role, so we will do detailed work on that, including communicating with the players to get us properly focused. As for the lineup, it’s good that everyone is fit. The only point is that according to Russian Cup rules, only two foreign players can play on the team, so Megan Walker will likely rest.
- What is your attitude towards restrictions on foreign players? Would you like them to be lifted or eased in the future?
As far as I remember, there was a situation where the Russian Cup was held without any foreign players at all. But imagine this situation: a coach prepares a team for a full season, and then for 2-3 games, foreign players are removed, and the team plays with a completely different lineup. This is not an ideal situation for the coach, so in my opinion, the current regulations are optimal.
- What do you think about the competition among clubs in Russian basketball?
At least five clubs in the top part of the standings can definitely compete with each other, and the regular season shows this: MBA-MGUSiT defeats Kursk twice on the road, and we lose to Krasnoyarsk away… When it comes to difficult games, and if we talk about our team, the situations in Syktyvkar and Orenburg were interesting for us in terms of basketball development. When we play in Orenburg and Syktyvkar, we always see full arenas. It’s very nice that fans come to watch women’s basketball - just recently, a game in Tula was broadcast on television. All of this plays an important role in popularizing basketball, and the more competing teams we have, the better the sport will develop.
- UMMC is the most decorated club in the country, with many trophies. What is the main motivation for your athletes, who have already won so much, going into this “Final Four”?
I think that sports, in general, are about winning trophies - that’s why we all train and play. There are both pros and cons to playing on our home court. On the one hand, we hope for the support of our fans, but on the other hand, it’s a huge responsibility, and the key is to ensure that our players don’t burn out and feel overwhelmed by that responsibility. Of course, the main motivation in front of us is the Russian Cup. Despite all the titles, our team is hungry for more victories.
- How important are home victories in the “Final Four” for you, your team, and the city as a whole?
After winning the trophy last season, it was very nice when the mayor of the city invited the whole team and called the UMMC women’s basketball club the pride of Yekaterinburg. Those are very pleasant moments, but it will be hard to repeat that success; we are in the spotlight, but we are focused on new victories. This applies to the atmosphere in the arena created by the fans, the work of the management to attract spectators, and the organization of the tournament itself. I believe that Yekaterinburg deserves to host the “Final Four” for the second year in a row.
We are happy to see everyone at the “Final Four.” Thank you for your interesting questions, and thank you for covering women’s basketball. We certainly hope that the popularity of this sport will grow, and that women’s basketball will receive more coverage in the mainstream press, especially on television, including with your help!
Sergey Voznyuk, Dynamo Head Coach (Kursk)
- How do you cope with the emotional tension before important games?
I am in a slightly different position compared to my colleagues: our team is going through a restructuring, and I only started my role as head coach a month ago. So, I can say that we don’t have any particular secrets when preparing for important games right now. At this stage, we focus on each training session - whether it’s preparation for the cup or just a regular practice. While this restructuring is ongoing, our main focus is on our own game.
- How is your adaptation to the team going, and are there any injured players in the Dynamo squad?
My adaptation is going well; the players are responding, and I’m satisfied. Perhaps they’re not reacting as quickly as I would like, but that’s the reality. We have arrived with a full squad, and there are no injured players, which is, of course, a good thing. At the same time, I completely agree with my colleague Olga Leonidovna’s words that Nika-Luzales have been playing really well over the past two months - the players from Syktyvkar are running well and defending well, so we are not expecting an easy game.
- What style of basketball are you instilling in the club, and how much are you changing the game that Dynamo may have already become accustomed to?
Obviously, you have to take into account the players you have at your disposal and, based on that, build a specific strategy and team concept. Overall, I wouldn’t say we are changing a lot, but we are certainly introducing new elements, and we are not stopping there. We want to keep moving forward and progressing. We still have time - half a season ahead of us.
- What is your attitude towards restrictions on foreign players? Would you like them to be lifted or eased in the future?
It is necessary to adapt to any regulations, and I have specifically outlined our preparation for the Russian Cup. I can say that I haven’t made a final decision yet on who will not participate in the game.
- This season, your team moved to Tula. How does this affect the players, and what is the psychological state of your team?
Overall, this move is very difficult for the club because, as everyone knows, Kursk has its own fans, its own gym, and its own locker rooms, which are always important for the team. The conditions created in Tula right now are good, and first and foremost, we are grateful to the club management and the hosting side for the agreement between the club and the Tula administration.
Olga Doronina, Head Coach of Nika-Luzales
- How do you cope with the emotional tension before important games?
When preparing, it’s important to use different tools depending on the team’s current state. For example, if the coach feels that the team is overly nervous or tense, it might be a good idea, as Dmitrii Fedorovich said, to hold a fun training session. On the other hand, if there’s too much excitement in the team, the approach would be different. In any case, the coach makes the optimal decision based on the situation at hand. As for my personal preparation, I believe it’s important to focus: listen to music, read books, minimize communication - this is what I do. Some players, as far as I know, need to watch motivational videos. As my colleagues have rightly pointed out, everyone knows themselves, and in the “Final Four,” mainly experienced players participate, who know how to prepare.
- There aren’t many female coaches in our league, in fact, there are very few. Is it difficult for you to compete with the male coaching mindset, and do you have a dream or desire to draw attention to the role of women in such a position?
Undoubtedly, there are gender differences, and competing can be quite challenging. We’ve played well over the last couple of months, so I think we’ve proven that women can handle the demanding responsibilities of a coach. A good example is the work of Olga Aleksandrovna Shuneikina in Krasnoyarsk, who wins even with a not-so-strong roster. Of course, there are challenges in this work, but we overcome them and move forward. Unfortunately, we also have losses: three players from the starting five are out, and like MBA-MGUSiT, we’ll have to rebuild our game, find new moments, and still show quality basketball in every game, giving our best effort. As our general manager says, “You can’t deceive basketball” - if we work hard, give our all, and love the game, the results will come sooner or later with any roster.
It’s hard for me to assess how much the female approach differs from the male one - the players themselves should answer the question of who they feel more comfortable working with. It largely depends on the coach’s personality and character. The plus side is that I understand the psychology of the girls better and can catch their mood more easily. The downside is that I may not always show enough toughness at the right moment. But I don’t think it’s necessary to be tough all the time, although sometimes it is needed.
- What is your attitude towards restrictions on foreign players? Would you like them to be lifted or eased in the future?
In my opinion, the current regulations are quite optimal because removing foreign players altogether isn’t a good idea. There have been situations when three foreign players were allowed on the team: someone got injured, and we played in the cup with just five or six players. These games never led to good results - only additional injuries. Unfortunately, at the moment, I have no choice — all our foreign players are injured.
- Are there any difficulties in attracting foreign players to the team now?
It’s no secret that there are problems because, for example, players from the WNBA are very reluctant to come to Russia right now, and it’s becoming increasingly difficult to find quality basketball players of a good level. This is partly because we can’t offer them the level of EuroCup competition with opportunities for international experience. That said, I want to point out that we are very lucky with the players we currently have on our team. I have no questions about their commitment or how well they’ve integrated into the team, so I’m very happy to have them with us. I hope they recover, and we continue playing.
- Can you share any information about the recovery timelines for the injured players, when can we expect to see them back on the court?
This is very individual as there are too many players. We expect Natalia Yasivichene to recover soon. Ekaterina Fedorenkova’s situation is still uncertain - we are waiting for the specialists’ decision based on their examinations. We also expect a decision on Sevara Nuritdinova’s condition within a month. The health of Bria Holmes is still an open question as well, and it should be resolved within a month. Unfortunately, after a severe leg injury in the last game, Jessica Jackson is also out. All the injuries are different, and we can’t link them together, but we’re analyzing a lot, thinking a lot, and waiting for the players to gradually return. Sadly, Qadashah Hoppie will not return - her injury is too serious, and she is out for the rest of the season.
Alexander Diratsuyan, Head Coach of MBA-MGUSiT (Moscow)
- First of all, we want to wish health and a speedy recovery to Maria Krymova. How did you manage to adjust after losing such a key player, cope with the emotions, and prepare for the “Final Four”?
Thank you. We’re still in the process of preparing, and there’s very little time, so it’s hard to say how the team will look without our leaders - after all, we’re also missing Viktoria Cheren and Veronika Loginova in this tournament.
On the other hand, it’s somewhat easier for us because we have a lot of young players in the roster right now, and whenever possible, we emphasize that the most important thing is to gain experience. We try to prepare in a way that the girls don’t feel pressure while being ready to give their all. And perhaps this is our advantage - we came here to show quality basketball, and above all, we want to see the passion in their eyes. That’s our main goal at this stage.
- UMMC are the undisputed leaders of the championship, but does this team have any weak spots?
I think every team, without exception, has things that can be exploited, but it doesn’t always work out in practice. We’ll try tomorrow.
Source: RBF (Russian Basketball Federation)