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Two Mountaineers Compete in Olympic Qualifying
June 10, 2016 10:42 AM | Women's Basketball
MORGANTOWN, W.Va. - A pair of former West Virginia University women’s basketball players will participate in the FIBA Women’s Olympic Qualifying Tournament with their respective countries, beginning June 13-19 in Nantes, France. Yelena Leuchanka will represent Belarus, while Olayinka Sanni will play for Nigeria.
There are 12 teams participating with five berths to the Olympics in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, on the line. The Nigeria and Belarus teams will square off in Group C against Korea. If they can finish in the top two of their group, they will advance and face a team from Group D - Spain, China or Venezuela - in the quarterfinals, with an Olympic berth at stake. Four teams that win the quarterfinal games will qualify, while there will be a classification round for fifth place.
Leuchanka played the 2004-05 and 2005-06 seasons at WVU and finished with 313 career points and 261 rebounds. The Gomel, Belarus, native spent three seasons in the WNBA with the Charlotte Sting (2006), Washington Mystics (2007) and Atlanta Dream (2010). Most recently, Leuchanka played 10 games for Yakin Dogu Universtitesi Lefkosa in Turkey. She averaged 5.5 points and 3.6 rebounds in 34 minutes of action. Belarus ranks 10th in the world according to the International Basketball Federation (FIBA).
Sanni, a two-time All-Big East selection and two-time All-America Honorable Mention honoree, finished her career with 1,602 points and 773 rebounds. She collected 170 steals and blocked 83 shots in her career from 2005-2008. Sanni was drafted in the second round as the No. 18 overall pick by the Detroit Shock in 2008. She helped the Shock to a WNBA title her rookie season and spent two years with Detroit before playing the 2011 campaign with the Phoenix Mercury. Most recently, Sanni played nine games for Maccabi Bnot Ashdod in Israel Division 1. She shot 44.8 percent (30-of-67) from the field and averaged 7.8 points and 3.9 rebounds in 24 minutes played. Nigeria is 42nd in the most recent FIBA World Rankings.
Another Mountaineer, Natalie Burton, is competing for a spot on the Australian national team. Australia qualified for the Olympics by winning the 2015 FIBA Oceania Championship. A final Australian Opals roster will be announced at a later date this summer.
2016 FIBA Women’s Olympic Qualifying Tournament Schedule
Monday, June 13
Belarus vs. Nigeria – Noon EDT
Belarus vs. Nigeria – Noon EDT
Tuesday, June 14
Nigeria vs. Korea – 6:30 a.m. EDT
Nigeria vs. Korea – 6:30 a.m. EDT
Wednesday, June 15
Korea vs. Belarus – 6:30 a.m. EDT
Korea vs. Belarus – 6:30 a.m. EDT
Friday, June 17
Quarterfinal Games
Quarterfinal Games
Saturday, June 18
Classification for 5th place
Classification for 5th place
Sunday, June 19
Fifth place game
Fifth place game
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Monday, March 23
NCAA First Round Recap
Sunday, March 22
Mark Kellogg, Meme Wheeler & Jordan Harrison | NCAA First Round vs. Miami (OH)
Saturday, March 21
NCAA Tournament Trailer
Friday, March 20
