2012 in Review: Svetlana Abrosimova
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Storm Re-Signs Svetlana Abrosimova
Kevin Pelton, StormBasketball.com | Nov. 8, 2012
After her first season in Seattle ended in a championship, both the Storm and
Svetlana Abrosimova hoped for a reunion at some point in the future if Abrosimova's schedule allowed. Neither side expected that to happen during an Olympic year, but Abrosimova - previously the captain - was unexpectedly left off the preliminary roster for the team that represented Russia in London.
Blindsided by the decision, Abrosimova needed some time to come to terms with missing out on what would have been her second Olympics. The opportunity to rejoin the Storm, who reached out to Abrosimova's agent before she had even heard of the Russian National Team's decision, offered some consolation. The catch was that the Storm's cap situation did not allow Abrosimova to join the team until the end of June. She arrived in Seattle earlier in the month to get back in game condition and was officially added to the roster on June 29. Abrosimova made her 2012 debut the next day at New York.
Injuries forced Abrosimova into heavy action shortly thereafter. With 
Sue Bird out of the lineup on July 7 at Los Angeles, she played 29 minutes off the bench, finishing with nine points and six rebounds. Abrosimova had another nine-point outing, adding four rebounds and three assists, as the team went into the Olympic Break with a win at Phoenix.
The month-long break in the schedule was particularly helpful for Abrosimova, who had to catch up to the rest of the team on the fly after missing training camp and the first month of the season. While her experience playing under the same coaching staff and with the Storm's core players in 2010 was helpful, Abrosimova was more comfortable when the team returned to action in the month of August.
During the Storm's first two games back from the break, Abrosimova combined for 16 points, seven rebounds and seven assists. Her ballhandling ability was useful for a team that played without a true backup point guard, especially when Bird missed more time due to her hip late in the regular season. In consecutive games at Indiana and San Antonio, Abrosimova played more than 30 minutes and scored a season-high 11 points. She also contributed eight rebounds against the Fever and five rebounds and four assists against the Silver Stars.
During the season's final week, Abrosimova herself joined the injured list. She sprained her right wrist during the Storm's win over Chicago, which forced Abrosimova to miss the last two games on the schedule. She was still limited by the time the Storm opened its playoff series against the Minnesota Lynx, though healthy enough to dress for the games and play briefly off the bench in both Game 2 and Game 3.
At season's end, Abrosimova was glad she had come back to the Storm.
"Coming here, it made me work through things instead of sitting at home thinking about it or feeling sorry for myself," she said. "It was good to be here. It definitely helped me as a person and as a player. Keep doing what you love. It doesn't matter what other people take away from you - you still can get better."
2012 Highlights:
- Scored a season-high 11 points twice (Sept. 12 at Indiana and Sept. 14 at San Antonio).
- Also grabbed a season-high eight rebounds on Sept. 12 at Indiana.
- Handed out four assists three times.
- Started four games.
What was your favorite Svetlana Abrosimova memory during the 2012 season? Share your reply in the comments.
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