After 23 rounds or regular season play, the time has come to hand out
the
Safsal awards. A lot of great players played in the league this year,
but we
could only pick 10. Other than personal statistics, we took the team
record
under consideration and tried to be a little diverse. There were no
arguments about the season MVP or newcomer of the year, but the other
awards
– 1st team, 2nd team and coach of the year – caused some heated
discussions.
Eventually we reached an agreement accepted by all, and now it’s your
turn
to disagree with our opinions. The winners, by the way, may collect a
warm
handshake on Monday. ;)
Safsal’s MVP of the season: Amber Hall, Elizur Ramla
Even those who only got to see one Ramla game this season would find it
hard
to argue with this selection. It is very likely that Hall finished that
game
with a double double, as she did in 19 games out of 23 this season, and
it
is even more likely that she led her team to victory while completely
frustrating the opposing post. Hall averaged 16 points per game this
season,
was of course the league’s undisputed rebounding queen with 12.5 boards
per
game, and ranked 2nd in steals per game with 2.8. But it’s not the sick
numbers that set Hall apart from every other player in the league, it’s
the
determination. Hall remembers very well how last season ended, nobody
wants
to win this championship more than her and she’s been keeping her
team’s eye
on the prize for over 6 months now.
Safsal’s 1st Team
Edwina Brown, Maccabi Ramat Hen
Last year Brown landed in Raanana mid season, and dropped 30-point
games
left and right. She finished the season as the league’s top scorer and
when
she signed with Ramat Hen this year along with Tawona Alhaleem, some
wondered how that team could play with just 1 ball. However, Brown
realized
her role with her new team is different, focused less on scoring and
more on
other things while playing the point. Brown scored 17 points per game,
ranked 4th in the league in assists with 4.2 per game, 1st in steals
with
2.9 per game and led Ramat Hen in rebounding with 7.8 boards per game,
good
for 5th in the league. She is the only player in the league averaging
more
than 15 points, 5 rebounds, 4 assists and 2.5 steals per game. Brown is
probably the most versatile player to ever play in Israel, and she
makes the
2nd placed Ramat Hen tick.
Safsal stats: Round 1st team - 6 times, round MVP – 2 times, player of
the
month for February
Gunta Basko, Ramat Hasharon
She doesn’t lead the league in any category, she’s not super athletic,
she’s
not a pure shooter, but she’s the best player in Ramat Hasharon and one
of
the best European players the Israeli league has ever seen. Basko is
the
glue of Ramat Hasharon, an intelligent player that contributes in all
the
categories: 14 points per game on 55% shooting, 6.6 rebounds per game,
2.3
steals per game and a lot of other things that don’t show up in the
stat
sheet. The energetic Basko does what her team needs when they need it,
usually defends the opponent’s best scorer, is just very fun to watch,
and
she’s only 23 years old.
Safsal stats: Round 1st team - 8 times, round MVP – 3 times
Lynn Pride, Hapoel Haifa/Motzkin
Pride is ridiculously talented, 6’2 but plays like a guard, most
definitely
one of the most skilled players to ever grace our courts. She makes
driving
all the way to Motzkin to watch her play worthwhile. Pride drew a lot
of
oohs and ahhs around the league with her laid back style of play, her
ability to simply do everything on the court and make it look so easy.
After
Motzkin lost their center this season, Pride knew she had to help as
much as
possible on the boards and averaged 10 boards per game in the upper
playoffs. She finished the season averaging 16.7 points and 8.2
rebounds a
game.
Safsal stats: Player of the month for January
Amber Hall, Elizur Ramla
What else is there to say? This is the 3rd straight season we’ve picked
Amber for season MVP, and if Ramla win the cup and championship this
year
it’s only right that the city names a street after her. If not a street
than
at least the arena, “The Amber Hall”, got a nice ring to it.
Safsal stats: Round 1st team – 8 times, round MVP – 3 times, player of
the
month for December
Ayana Walker, Elizur Ramla
Quietly and efficiently, Walker established herself as the best center
in
the league. Walker leads Ramla in points per game with 16.2, ranks 3rd
in
the league in rebounding with 9.1 per game, and leads the league in
blocks
with 2.2 per game. Walker is one of the main reasons for Ramla’s
success,
she complements Amber Hall perfectly and her shot blocking ability adds
a
new dimension to the team’s defense, making opponents think twice
before
attempting a drive.
Safsal stats: Round 1st team – 7 times, round MVP – 2 times
Safsal’s 2nd Team
Laine Selwyn, Hapoel Haifa/Motzkin
Motzkin’s floor general is without a doubt the steal of the season. The
young Jewish point guard averaged 13.7 points a game on great shooting,
ranked 3rd in the league in assists with 4.3 per game and 6th in steals
with
2.4 per game. She’s a great passer, tough defender and knows how to
carry
her team when needed. Selwyn led Motzkin to a wonderful season and was
outstanding in all of the team’s big wins.
Safsal stats: Round 1st team – 5 times, round MVP – 3 times
Tawona Alhaleem, Maccabi Ramat Hen
If Alhaleem is capable of having a bad game, it hasn’t happened yet in
her 2
years in Israel. She’s the most consistent player in the league, and
also
the #1 scorer with 21.3 points per game. In 23 games this season,
Alhaleem
scored under 20 in just six, reached 25 or more in six others, and shot
over
50% from the field in 21 games. She’s the only player to be ranked in
the
top 10 of all 3 shooting percentage categories. Ramat Hen leads the
league
in 2-point, 3-point and free throw shooting, it’s no accident they’re
the
best offensive team in the league.
Safsal stats: Round 1st team – 4 times, round MVP – 1 time
Monika Veselovski, Elizur Ramla
Veselovski has made a major impact in her first year in Israel, playing
an
integral part in Ramla’s superb season. She scored 14.6 points per
game,
shooting a league leading 65% from inside the arc. Her presence on the
court
forces opponents to pick their poison, either focus on Veselovski and
let
the posts go off, or stay inside and stare at her as she wins the game.
Safsal stats: Round 1st team – 4 times
DeTrina White, Bnei Yehuda
Bnei Yehuda is a team of fighters, and White fits them like a glove.
She
makes up for her lack of height with aggressiveness and her sense for
always
being first for every rebound. White ranks 2nd in the league in
rebounds
with 9.3 per game. She also leads her team points per game and shooting
percentage, with 18.9 ppg on 59% shooting. Even the top teams could not
find
an answer for White, and she is the MVP of the most surprising team in
the
league.
Safsal stats: Round 1st team – 6 times, round MVP – 1 time
Plenette Pierson, Maccabi Ramat Hen
It is not easy being an only post, fight all the opposing inside
players and
sometimes not get enough touches when your team’s talented guards feel
like
doing things alone. However, Pierson had a great season and proved to
be one
of the best posts in the league. She scored 19 points a game from both
inside and out, connecting on 63.7% of her shots, and pulling down 7.2
boards a game as her team’s sole inside presence.
Safsal stats: Round 1st team – 5 times, round MVP – 3 times
Other players with 4 or more round 1st team selections:
Chanel Wright-Green: 1st team – 6 times, MVP – 2 times
Leigh Aziz: 1st team – 4 times
Molly Creamer: 1st team – 4 times
Ina Gourevitch: 1st team – 4 times
Gwen Jackson: 1st team – 4 times
Newcomer of the year: Hila Izhar, Bnei Yehuda
After being sidelined by an injury for 2 years, Hila Izhar played in
just 10
games last season, scoring 1 point per game. She stayed in Bnei Yehuda
this
season too, and got a chance to shine. “Hila worked very hard like a
pro
this summer, and came back ready to play”, said Bnei Yehuda coach,
Shiki
Falah. Izhar became a legit and promising starter, scoring 8.6 points
in
nearly 30 minutes per game. In her best game this year she notched 24
points
on great shooting against Raanana in round 10.
Coach of the year: Shiki Falah, Bnei Yehuda
Yes, Ramla is an excellent team with a scary record, but everyone
predicted
them to finish at the top of the standings. Bnei Yehuda though, came
from
absolutely nowhere. With a modest budget and very little time to
prepare for
the season, Shiki Falah built a tough, fighting squad with great
Americans
and young, talented Israelis. Falah led Bnei Yehuda to a terrific
season,
which ended one basket away from the final four, after defeating 3 of
the 4
top teams.