Israeli League Back in Action
By Lior Klinger
After the oh so successful National Team break, league play resumes tomorrow
(Monday). A few teams made changes to their rosters during the break, we'll
go over them and then check out the stat leaders.
Ramat Hasharon signed center Rhonda Mapp and forward Tracy Reid. The team
released Danielle McCulley and Mirna Paunovic. The 33-year-old Mapp should
bring experience and aggressiveness to the team, something the somewhat
indifferent McCulley lacked. Reid brings athleticism, and unlike Paunovich,
Reid is a slasher with not much range. Ramat Hasharon is definitely changing
its concept, and considering its 2-5 record, that could only be a good idea.
Raanana, the worst offensive team in the league, released American Nikki
Thompkins and Bosman Olga Milkina. Detroit's Edwina Brown will join the
team, and should help them a great deal. She may not have a great perimeter
game, but she can create her own shot as well as dish out to teammates.
Paunovic is the team's new bosman. If they can start clicking soon they
should be much improved from the first round.
Holon signed 3 foreigners to join Octavia Blue: Yulia Rozova, American guard
Juwana Brown and Russian center Elena Mineiiva. Margo Graham was cut.
Now for some sad news, Bnei Yehuda released Travesa Gant due to "financial
problems". Gant was the team captain and was averaging 17 pts & 10.2
rebounds per game. The team is supposed to sign a new player soon, but
finding someone who could to what Gant did is highly unlikely. Bosman
Blazenka Cipcic was also cut.
Maccabi Ashdod expects to have a much better round with a little less bad
luck and some help from the newly signed Sarit Arbel.
Moving on to some stats. Here are all the top scorers, rebounders, passers
and so on in our league after round 1:
Top scorers:
1. Vicky Hall (Ramat Hen) - 24.0 ppg
2. Tawona Alhaleem (Bnei Yehuda) - 18.9 ppg
3. Jaclyn Johnson (Ramla) - 18.3 ppg
4. Octavia Blue (Holon) - 18.0 ppg
5. Jackie Moore (Ramla) - 17.7 ppg
6. Limor Mizrachi (Holon) - 17.3 ppg
7. Travesa Gant (Bnei Yehuda) - 17.0 ppg
7. Aleksandra Music (Haifa/Motzkin) - 17.0 ppg
8. Simone Edwards (Ramat Hen) - 16.9 ppg
9. Tatum Brown (Raanana) - 15.7 ppg
10. Amber Hall (Ramla) - 15.4
Top Rebounders:
1. Amber Hall (Ramla) - 12.0 rpg
1. Tatum Brown (Raanana) - 12.0 rpg
2. Simone Edwards (Ramat Hen) - 11.3 rpg
3. Travesa Gant (Bnei Yehuda) - 10.2 rpg
4. Valerie Muoneke (Ashdod) - 8.3 rpg
4. Jaclyn Johnson (Ramla) - 8.3 rpg
5. Crystal Givens (Ashdod) - 8.2 rpg
6. Nikki Thompkins (Raanana) - 7.1 rpg
7. Jackie Higgins (Haifa/Motzkin) - 7.0 rpg
8. Jackie Moore (Ramla) - 6.7 rpg
9. Danielle McCulley (Ramat Hasharon) - 6.4 rpg
Assists Leaders:
1. Lili Latinovic (Haifa/Motzkin) - 4.5 apg
2. Monika Kovac (Ramat Hen) - 4.0 apg
3. Aluma Goren (Ramat Hasharon) - 3.7 apg
4. Tamar Maoz (Ramat Hasharon) - 3.4 apg
5. Valerie Muoneke (Ashdod) - 3.2 apg
5. Kenya Larkin (Ashdod) - 3.2 apg
6. Snjeana Vasich (Raanana)- 3.1 apg
6. Jaclyn Johnson (Ramla) - 3.1
7. Ina Gourevitch (Ramat Hasharon) - 3.0 apg
7. Nomi Kolodny (Raanana) - 3.0 apg
8. Tawona Alhaleem (Bnei Yehuda) - 2.7 apg
9. Rivi Grinboym (Ramat Hen) - 2.4 apg
Turnover Leaders:
1. Limor Mizrachi (Holon) - 5.5
2. Lili Latinovic (Haifa/Motzkin) - 5.0
3. Nili Nataho (Raanana) - 3.9
4. Kenya Larkin (Ashdod) - 3.8
5. Tatum Brown (Raanana) - 3.7
6. Blazenka Cipcic (Bnei Yehuda) - 3.6
7. Jackie Moore (Ramla) - 3.4
8. Tawona Alhaleem (Bnei Yehuda) - 3.3
8. Monika Kovac (Ramat Hen) - 3.3
9. Ina Gourevitch (Ramat Hasharon) - 3.1
9. Vicky Hall (Ramat Hen) - 3.1
9. Marianna Raguz (Ramat Hen) - 3.1
10. Nomi Kolodny (Raanana) - 2.9
Steals Leaders:
1. Lili Latinovic (Haifa/Motzkin) - 2.7 spg
2. Limor Mizrachi (Holon) - 2.5 spg
2. Tawona Alhaleem (Bnei Yehuda) - 2.5 spg
2. Travesa Gant (Bnei Yehuda) - 2.5 spg
3. Kenya Larkin (Ashdod) - 2.3 spg
3. Ina Gourevitch (Ramat Hasharon) - 2.3 spg
3. Tamar Maoz (Ramat Hasharon) - 2.3 spg
3. Amber Hall (Ramla) - 2.3 spg
4. Monica Kovac (Ramat Hen) - 2.0 spg
4. Dragoslava Zakula (Bnei Yehuda) - 2.0 spg
4. Nomi Kolodny (Raanana) - 2.0 spg
4. Aleksandra Music (Haifa/Motzkin) - 2.0 spg
FT percentage leaders:
1. Vika Rudovsky (Ashdod) - 91.7%
2. Ina Gourevitch (Ramat Hasharon) - 90.0%
3. Kenya Larkin (Ashdod) - 86.7%
4. Lili Latinovic (Haifa/Motzkin) - 84.6%
5. Tawona Alhaleem (Bnei Yehuda) - 80.0%
5. Draguslava Zakula (Bnei Yehuda) - 80.0%
6. Aleksandra Music (Haifa/Motzkin) - 77.8%
7. Danielle McCulley (Ramat Hasharon) - 76.9%
8. Jamie Lewis (Haifa/Motzkin) - 76.5%
Worst FT shooters:
1. Snjeana Vasich (Raanana) - 44.0%
2. Aluma Goren (Ramat Hasharon) - 50.0%
3. Nikki Thompkins (Raanana) - 51.2%
3 point %:
1. Vicky Hall (Ramat Hen) - 54.5%
1. Goni Tanhelson (Bnei Yehuda) - 54.5%
3. Ornit Shwartz (Ramla) - 47.1%
4. Marianna Raguz (Ramat Hen) - 46.7%
4. Jaclyn Johnson (Ramla) - 46.7%
5. Liron Cohen (Ramla) - 44.8%
6. Tawona Alhaleem (Bnei Yehuda) - 44.4%
7. Taly Noy (Ramla) - 42.9%
8. Inna Boutenko Bnei Yehuda) - 40%
2 point FG%:
1. Lili Latinovic (Haifa/Motzkin) - 75.8%
2. Rivi Grinboym (Ramat Hen) - 66.7%
3. Aleksandra Music (Haifa/Motzkin) - 64.4%
4. Lena Pedulova (Ramat Hen) - 64.3%
5. Tawona Alhaleem (Bnei Yehuda) - 63.6%
6. Jaclyn Johnson (Ramla) - 63.5%
7. Lidiya Varbanova (Ramat Hasharon) - 63.4%
8. Oksana Dovgalyuk (Ashdod) - 62.9%
9. Tamar Maoz (Ramat Hasharon) - 62.1%
10. Jacky Moore (Ramla) - 60.9%
11. Vicky Hall (Ramat Hen) - 58.8%
12. Tal Salz (Ramat Hen) - 58.5%
Minutes per game:
1. Kenya Larkin (Ashdod) - 39 mpg
2. Octavia Blue (Holon) - 36.3 mpg
3. Amber Hall (Ramla) - 36.1 mpg
4. Simone Edwards (Ramat Hen) - 35.4 mpg
5. Valerie Muoneke (Ashdod) - 34.8 mpg
6. Vika Rudovski (Ashdod) - 34.7 mpg
7. Vicky Hall (Ramat Hen) - 34.6 mpg
8. Limor Mizrachi (Holon) - 34.5 mpg
9. Lili Latinovic (Haifa/Motzkin) - 34.2 mpg
The Standings:
1. Elizur Ramla 7-0
2. Bnei Yehuda 5-2
3. Maccabi Ramat Hen 5-2
4. Maccabi Raanana 4-3
5. Hapoel Haifa/Motzkin 4-3
6. YES Ramat Hasharon 2-5
7. Elizur Holon 1-6
8. Maccabi Ashdod 0-7
Information reprinted with permission of Lior Klinger and Orli Klinger. Send an e-mail to be put on the mailing list.