|
|
Injuries plague cause roster changes
Safsal
,01/11/2007 |
Raanana Hertzeliya released La'Tangela Atkinson and Tasha Butts due to injury. The team signed Crystal Robinson and Shyra Ely as replacements.
La'Tangela Atkinson was bothered by the hamstring injury even before the break, and the rest was no cure. Despite playing in the first game after the break (loss to Ramat Hen), Atkinson sat out the second game (loss at Bnei Yehuda). An MRI test revealed what Atkinson herself and the team already knew, she will need about two months to fully heal. Atkinson, the league's rebounding leader with 12.5 boards per game, was Raanana Hertzeliya's most valuable player this season (17.4 points per game). She should be back in full strength in time for the Indiana Fever's training camp in April.
As if losing Atkinson is not enough, Tasha Butts was released as well due to injury and now all 3 original foreigners that were signed for this season are gone. Butts sprained her ankle in the game against Holon, and even though she only sat out one game things deteriorated, the injury is a lot more serious than what was originally thought and she is out or about 7 weeks. Butts averaged 15.5 points and 5.5 rebounds per game on the season.
Raanana Hertzeliya couldn't wait that long and decided to sign to new but familiar players: Shyra Ely and Crystal Robinson.
Ely started this season in Ramla but was released at the Christmas break. Ely, who averaged 10.9 points and 8.8 boards per game in Ramla, is coming back to the same team she bailed out on two days before the season started in 05/06.
Crystal Robinson also played in Ramla, two years ago and won the championship. Tal Natan was the head coach before getting fired after losing game 1 in the finals. Robinson has not played in Europe this season so far, last year she won the Europe Cup with Spartak.
Worth another read - A Different Kind of Champion - interview with Crystal from 2 years ago
Tal Natan: "I want to say goodbye to Tangie and Tasha, I wish them a full recovery and I'm sure we'll see them again in Israel. We've seen what they are capable of, I wish them luck.
Crystal Robinson is definitely one of the greatest players I've ever coached, on a professional level and on a personal level. She makes players around her better. As for Shyra we are bringing her back despite what happened last year. She knows the system, is in game shape and knows the league. It's up to her to prove herself, we know what she can do since we signed her last year. We've been through a very tough week, I assume it will take a while to get it all together but once we click I hope we'll see the real Raanana Hertzeliya.
Latest stories
|
C-Rob back in Israel |
|
Print
|
|
|
|
|