Michelle Snow, the Houston Comet's starting center and 2-time WNBA All Star, who played in Ramat Hasharon in 03/04 and was cut, has signed with Ramla. She is supposed to replace one of the posts and play on Monday.
Promises that this lineup wasn't final became a reality today. At least we can now safely say that there can only be one more "new-foreigner-to-Ramla" report until the end of the season. It's still not clear which player Snow will replace, Camille Little who's played one game with the team or Jackie Johnson who's been with the team since early December.
Michelle Snow (6'5, 27), the starting center of the Houston Comets, is the new big name in Ramla. Snow, a Tennessee 2002 Grad and 10th pick in the draft, was named the WNBA's most improved player in 2003 after becoming a starter. She started all her games since her 2nd year, and was named an All Star in 2005 & 2006. In her last season she averaged 10.8 points and 6.8 rebounds per game. Overall, her career stats in five years are 9.7 points and 6.8 rebounds per game.
"I know she's a good player, and that she can dunk, and that she played with Team USA, and that she's a starter in Houston. I don't know her personally, and I've only seen her on TV", said Eli Rabi. "I think she's a big name, she has physical abilities that can't be overlooked, almost two meters tall. I hope we enjoy her, and that she'll be the answer. The team needs a player under the baskets that can match up to the posts in the league, like Deanna Jackson and Dada Vilipic in Ramat Hasharon, or Mistie Williams in Raanana Hertzelia, or Taj McWilliams in Ramat Hen. I think Michelle Snow is a fair and interesting match up". Snow is a player that lives off her athletic ability, she was criticized early in her career for being too soft. She's a very good rebounder thanks to her hops and height.
Snow became famous in college when she became the 3rd woman to ever dunk in a game, and the first to do it twice in one season while playing at Tennesee. Snow was also the 2nd player to ever dunk in the WNBA as she slammed one home in the 2006 All Star game. In 2006 she also made Team USA and played in the world championship (2.8 pts per game).
Overseas, Snow played in Korea last winter and spent the previous two offseasons in Parma, Italy. In the 05/06 season she scored 19.7 points and grabbed 12.3 rebounds per game in the Eurocup, and she averaged 15.5 & 13.6 the year before. She started the 03/04 season in Ramat Hasharon and scored 19.0 points per game in the three league games she played before she was released. She spent the rest of the season in Russia.
So what's it like to coach a new team every day? "Not boring. Myself, I'd prefer to coach the same team from the first day to the last", Rabi referred to the supply chain of foreigners in Ramla this season. "Most years I barely remember replacing foreigners, one here and one there, but this year… I just hope this is the end of it. Overall we're going through a lot of changes and it's hard to come together, but those who are here are doing a good job. We come in despite everything and get good results". Snow is going to replace either Little or Johnson, and legally Ramla could still later replace the one who stays.
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