Captain of the Russian national team Belyakova Evgeniya - basketball player, continuing her career in WNBA

In June of this year, she turned 30. It's time to think about the family, the end of sports career. But Evgenia Belyakova, a member of the top 10 most beautiful basketball players of the Premier League (2012-2013), captain of the Russian team, has started a new round of her biography, having met the next season in the overseas "Los Angeles Sparks". She became the ninth Russian woman, invited to the strongest world league of women's basketball.

How it all began

Eugenia's parents were simple workers. Galina comes from Voronezh, Alexander from Ryazan. But they met and got married in St. Petersburg, where the couple had two daughters. Zhenya, born in 1986, was the eldest. She was engaged in music (accordion class), she was excellent at school No. 86, graduating with a medal. At the same time I attended the sports section, where she was selected at an early age by the coach. She was already in the first grade was a tall girl, taking a place on the last desk (today her height is 183 cm). The section was not far. And the mother who brought up the younger Anya, it was convenient to take her daughter away, leaving her for two hours in the care of the coach.

There and noticed a young athlete St. Petersburg coach Kira Trzheskal, inviting to his team. We had to drive to the other end of the city. But my father was just transferred to work there, so there were no problems. Soon Eugenia Belyakova, basketball for which since ten years became a priority activity, entered the national team of the country. In its composition, she will become European champion in juniors (2004) and youth (2006).

student life

Today it is difficult to imagine, but once the great Cyrus Trzeskal, who took the girl to her team, herself advised that choose a study. This happened when Evgenia Belyakova was preparing to enter the university. Becoming a student of the Faculty of Engineering and Economics, she will leave professional sports for a while, speaking only for the student team. For three years, the girls won all the competitions in which they took part. Evgenia was a real leader of the team, practicing shots from above. This was possible, because the rings for female students were set lower than in normal basketball.

Before the conclusion of the first contract with the team "Baltic Star" the girl did not fall out of the sport life, continuing to deal with professionals, where she had many friends. Running on the platform, she attracted the attention of the coach, who saw in her the talent of a basketball player.

Professional career

Two seasons Belyakov Eugene will spend in St. Petersburg "Spartacus". But after the closure of the team due to financial turmoil in 2011, she will have to change geography. Over the years of his sports career, he will be able to play in the Moscow region and Kursk, triumphantly finishing the season in Yekaterinburg as part of UMMC, which in 2015 became not only the winner of the national championship, but also the owner of the Eurocup. If in Kursk the girl was the clear leader, then in Ekaterinburg she managed to become a real team player, focused on the result.

Before the victory in the Russian championship, Eugene already had to be a bronze and twice silver medalist, having joined the main team of the country. Here, she revealed her playing talent, which includes the following advantages:

• Desire and ability to play in defense.
• Aim for the ring with a high performance three-point shots.
• Athleticism, which allows you to cope with enormous physical stress.

Russian team

The last three years the country's main team is going through hard times. It is hard to change the generations, which led to the non-participation of the national team in the Olympic Games in Rio. It was in this difficult period that her captain became Evgenia Belyakova, who knew the triumph of 2011 in Poland. Then the Russian team led by Boris Sokolovsky became the European champion, winning 17 points in the finals. On her birthday on June 27, the girl had to play against the English women for leaving the group. Their advantage was only 3 points.

The choice of Eugene by the captain of the team is by no means accidental. Responsible and purposeful, she has an acute sense of justice. Even playing for "Spartacus", somehow stopped the course of the training match, during which one of the players allowed an obscene statement to the coach. The game was continued only after she made official apologies from her side. Until 2016 after the return of Abrosimova invitation to the WNBA from the whole team received only Eugene Belyakova.

Basketball: biography athletes will continue beyond the ocean

Season overseas league, which includes 12 clubs, lasts 6 months (May-October), which coincides with the performances of the national team. This always stopped Eugene from accepting offers from WNBA clubs. In 2016, she decided for many reasons:

• "Sparks" has not made the first offer, retaining the right to participate in games for the country by a player of the national team.
• The club is headed by Brian Egler - the great coach who led the team of Svetlana Abrosimova to the title in 2012. By the way, Svetlana was the last Russian woman to play overseas.
• The team twice won the main title for 19 seasons, going to the playoffs 15 times.
• The club does not have a sniper, who successfully slots from a long distance.

Belyakova Eugenia Aleksandrovna, master of sports of international class, adores her work. It is ready for loads in WNBA, where training lasts for 5-6 hours. The woman hopes to take a new barrier in her sports career, which will help in future domestic basketball. She excelled in the new team from the first matches. However, a fracture of the finger on the arm has not yet allowed to show a good level of play.