Elena Viktorovna Baranova (; born 28 January 1972) is a Russian former professional

basketball Basketball is a team sport in which two teams, most commonly of five players each, opposing one another on a rectangular Basketball court, court, compete with the primary objective of #Shooting, shooting a basketball (ball), basketball (appro ...

player. She is a former

Women's National Basketball Association The Women's National Basketball Association (WNBA) is a women's professional basketball league in the United States. The league comprises 13 teams (scheduled to expand to 15 in 2026). The WNBA is headquartered in Midtown Manhattan. The WNBA w ...

(WNBA) player, where she became the first player from Europe in 1997 WNBA inaugural season, the first All-Star from Russia in 2001 and played for the

New York Liberty The New York Liberty are an American professional basketball team based in the Boroughs of New York City, New York City borough of Brooklyn. The Liberty compete in the Women's National Basketball Association (WNBA) as a member of the Eastern Confer ...

until the 2005 season.

Career

Baranova was born in the

Kirghiz Soviet Socialist Republic The Kirghiz Soviet Socialist Republic (Kirghiz SSR), also known as the Kyrgyz Soviet Socialist Republic (Kyrgyz SSR), KySSR or Kirgiz Soviet Socialist Republic (Kirgiz SSR), was one of the constituent republics of the Soviet Union (USSR) from 1 ...

. She started playing professional basketball at age 16, was included to the Soviet national team at the age of 17, won European Championship at the age of 19 in 1991, and became the Olympic champion at the age of 20 in 1992.

WNBA

Baranova was assigned to the

Utah Starzz The Utah Starzz were a Women's National Basketball Association (WNBA) team based in Salt Lake City. They began play in the 1997 WNBA season as one of the league's eight original teams. History One of the eight original WNBA teams, the Starzz ...

on 22 January 1997 during the initial player allocation of the

1997 WNBA draft The 1997 WNBA draft was the 1st draft held by the WNBA through which teams could select new players from a talent pool of college and professional women's basketball players. Unlike later drafts, this draft was unique because there were three d ...

. Her debut game was played on 21 June 1997 in a 61 - 73 loss to the

Sacramento Monarchs The Sacramento Monarchs were a professional basketball team based in Sacramento, California. They played in the Women's National Basketball Association (WNBA) from 1997 until folding on November 20, 2009. They played their home games at ARCO Aren ...

where she recorded 7 points, 7 rebounds and a tremendous 5 blocks. In her first WNBA season she led the League in blocked shots (2.25 blocks per game) and set the League's single-game record for three-point field goals with 7 of 9 on 22 July 1997 at Madison Square Garden, New York. Baranova would miss the playoffs for her first three seasons with the Starzz. The team finished 7 - 21 in 1997, 8 - 22 in 1998 and 15 - 17 in 1999. In her three seasons with the Starzz, Baranova played 77 games (starting in 65 of them) and averaged 10 points, 6.4 rebounds and 2.3 assists. On 15 December 1999 she was traded with Utah's second-round pick in the 2000

WNBA draft The WNBA draft is an annual draft (sports), draft held by the Women's National Basketball Association, WNBA through which WNBA teams can select new players from a talent pool of college and List of WNBA players, professional women's basketball p ...

to the

Miami Sol The Miami Sol were a professional women's basketball team that was based in Miami and entered the Women's National Basketball Association (WNBA) in 2000. They played their games at American Airlines Arena as the sister team to the Miami Heat of the ...

(the pick would become Jameka Jones) in exchange for Kate Starbird and the 8th pick in the 2000 WNBA Draft (which turned into

Tamicha Jackson Tamicha Renia Jackson (born April 22, 1978) is an American former women's basketball player. She earned a gold medal with the US Junior World Championship team (1996–97). She was named Kodak All-American for the Lady Techsters in 2000. Tamicha ...

). Due to an anterior cruciate ligament injury, Baranova would sit out the entire 2000 season. She would return to play in the 2001 WNBA season, still signed to the Sol, and she was awarded 'The Bud Light Shooting Champion' trophy as the League's top free-throw shooter (with 93.1%). The same 2001 season she was selected to play in WNBA All-Star Game in Orlando to become the only player from Russia to represent her country at the All-Star Weekend, where she set WNBA All-Star Game record for blocked shots (4). Helping the Sol to a 20 - 12 regular season record, Baranova reached the playoffs for the first time in here career, but the Sol unfortunately lost to the

in the Semi-Finals. After also missing the 2002 season, she was taken in the 2003 WNBA

dispersal draft A dispersal draft is a process in professional sports for assigning players to a new team when an existing team folds or is merged into another team. Like most other sports drafts, most dispersal drafts are conducted in closed leagues and are in ...

by the

on 24 April 2003. She stayed with the Liberty for 3 seasons, averaging 9.6 points and 6.5 rebounds in 100 games for the team. The Liberty made the playoffs in 2004 and 2005 and lost in the Eastern Conference Finals and Semi-Finals respectively. Also known as 'Russian Queen' and 'SuperNova', Baranova is one of just 2 players in WNBA All-Time History to record over 200 three-point field goals (with 236) and 300 blocks (with 320). Although she performed just in 7 seasons, she is 7th in blocks (320), 7th in blocks per game (1.53), 12th in 3-point field goal percentage (39.1%), 14th in rebounds per game (6.4), 17th in free-throw percentage (84.5%). Baranova's final WNBA game ever was Game 2 of the 2005 Eastern Conference First Round on 1 September 2005. Baranova had a very disappointing game, playing 27 minutes and recording 2 points on 1 - 5 FGs shooting (20% FG) and committed 3 fouls. The Liberty would lose 50 - 58 to the

Indiana Fever The Indiana Fever are an American professional basketball team based in Indianapolis. The Fever compete in the Women's National Basketball Association (WNBA) a member of the Eastern Conference (WNBA), Eastern Conference. The team was founded for ...

and be eliminated from the playoffs.

International

Baranova's scoring and rebounding ability helped the Soviet national team to win gold medals at the 1991 European Championship and 1992 Olympics. She has played in 105 games for her National team (which is Russia all-time record for men and women), in which she scored over 1300 points representing her country at three Olympic Games (1992, 1996, 2004), two World championships (''1998, 2002'') and seven European Championships (''1991, 1993, 1995, 1997, 1999, 2001, 2003''). At last 3 events she appeared as the captain of Russian national team (2002 World championship, 2003 European championship, 2004 Olympic Games). At 1998 World championship where Elena led Russia to silver medals she was awarded by MVP (Most Valuable Player) prize and in 2002 World championship (where she also brought Russians to become the vice-champions) Elena Baranova was selected to the World's Top 5 Team. 1991 European Champion as a member of USSR team (the last competition where USSR team took part), Elena led her country to the first Russian Gold medals in basketball at 2003 European Championship, where she also was selected to Europe 'Top 5 Team'.

Achievements

Europe: 22 seasons, over 650 games, over 12,000 points, over 6,000 rebounds
Stroitel Frounze (''USSR, 1988–1989''),

Dynamo Moscow MGO VFSO "Dynamo" (), commonly known as Dynamo Moscow (), is a Russian sports club based in Moscow. Founded by Felix Dzerzhinsky on 18 April 1923, Dynamo Moscow was the first institution created from the All-Union Dynamo Sports Club. Dynamo Mosco ...

(''USSR, 1989–1992''), Elitzur Holon (''

Israel Israel, officially the State of Israel, is a country in West Asia. It Borders of Israel, shares borders with Lebanon to the north, Syria to the north-east, Jordan to the east, Egypt to the south-west, and the Mediterranean Sea to the west. Isr ...

, 1992–1994''), CSKA Moscow (''

Russia Russia, or the Russian Federation, is a country spanning Eastern Europe and North Asia. It is the list of countries and dependencies by area, largest country in the world, and extends across Time in Russia, eleven time zones, sharing Borders ...

, 1994–1999''), Bison Mytischi (''Russia, 1999''), Fenerbahçe Istanbul (''

Turkey Turkey, officially the Republic of Türkiye, is a country mainly located in Anatolia in West Asia, with a relatively small part called East Thrace in Southeast Europe. It borders the Black Sea to the north; Georgia (country), Georgia, Armen ...

, 1999–2000''), Villa Pini Chieti (''

Italy Italy, officially the Italian Republic, is a country in Southern Europe, Southern and Western Europe, Western Europe. It consists of Italian Peninsula, a peninsula that extends into the Mediterranean Sea, with the Alps on its northern land b ...

, 2000–2001''),

UMMC Ekaterinburg BC Ekaterinburg () is a Russian professional women's basketball team based in Yekaterinburg competing in the Russian Premier League, and until February 2022 in FIBA Europe's EuroLeague Women. Founded in 1938 as Zenit Sverdlovsk, the club had its ...

(''Russia, 2001–2003''), Dynamo Moscow (''Russia, 2004–2005''), Chevakata Vologda (''Russia, 2006–2007''),

Ros Casares Valencia Ros Casares Godella was a professional women's basketball team based in Godella, Spain. It played in the Liga Femenina de Baloncesto between 1996 and 2012, when it resigned to play in EuroLeague and Spanish League. It continued playing in Primer ...

(''

Spain Spain, or the Kingdom of Spain, is a country in Southern Europe, Southern and Western Europe with territories in North Africa. Featuring the Punta de Tarifa, southernmost point of continental Europe, it is the largest country in Southern Eur ...

, 2007–2008''), UMMC Ekaterinburg (''Russia, 2008–2009''), Nadezhda Orenburg (''Russia, 2009–2011''), Chevakata Vologda (''Russia, 2011–2012''). WNBA: 7 seasons, 220 games (178 started), 2,215 points, 1,403 rebounds

(''1997, 1998, 1999''),

(''2001''),

(''2003, 2004, 2005''). Other achievements *1997 Ronchetti Cup Champion (with CSKA Moscow). *1998 European Player of The Year. *In 1999 Baranova played four men's basketball games for Bison Mytischi in the

Moscow Oblast Moscow Oblast (, , informally known as , ) is a federal subjects of Russia, federal subject of Russia (an oblast). With a population of 8,524,665 (Russian Census (2021), 2021 Census) living in an area of , it is one of the most densely populate ...

championships. She averaged 6.3 points, 6.25 rebounds and 2.75 blocks. By the end of the same 1999 year was selected as 'The Best Russian Basketball Player of 20th century' voted by the most popular Russian newspaper 'Sport-Express' readers. *2003 EuroLeague Women Champion (with

) and Final Four MVP. *2010 FIBA Cup Finalist (with Nadezhda Orenburg). *6-times Champion of Russia (the only in Russian Women's Basketball) and Russian Cup winner, 2-times Champion of Israel and Israel Cup winner, Vice-Champion of Turkey and Turkish Cup winner, Champion of Spain and Spanish Cup and SuperCup winner.

Career statistics

WNBA

Source

Regular season

, - , style="text-align:left;",

1997 Events January * January 1 – The Emergency Alert System is introduced in the United States. * January 11 – Turkey threatens Cyprus on account of a deal to buy Russian S-300 missiles, prompting the Cypriot Missile Crisis. * January 1 ...

, style="text-align:left;",

Utah Utah is a landlocked state in the Mountain states, Mountain West subregion of the Western United States. It is one of the Four Corners states, sharing a border with Arizona, Colorado, and New Mexico. It also borders Wyoming to the northea ...

, style="background:#D3D3D3", 28° , , 27 , , 32.6 , , .390 , , .377 , , .694 , , 7.4 , , 2.2 , , 1.5 , , 2.3 , , 2.9 , , 12.2 , - , style="text-align:left;",

1998 1998 was designated as the ''International Year of the Ocean''. Events January * January 6 – The ''Lunar Prospector'' spacecraft is launched into orbit around the Moon, and later finds evidence for Lunar water, frozen water, in soil i ...

, style="text-align:left;",

, 20 , , 19 , , 33.6 , , .420 , , .313 , , .831 , , 9.3 , , 3.5 , , 1.1 , , 1.5 , , 2.8 , , 12.9 , - , style="text-align:left;",

1999 1999 was designated as the International Year of Older Persons. Events January * January 1 – The euro currency is established and the European Central Bank assumes its full powers. * January 3 – The Mars Polar Lander is launc ...

, style="text-align:left;",

, 29 , , 19 , , 19.7 , , .405 , , .417 , , .805 , , 3.4 , , 1.6 , , .7 , , .8 , , 1.5 , , 6.0 , - , style="text-align:left;",

2001 The year's most prominent event was the September 11 attacks against the United States by al-Qaeda, which Casualties of the September 11 attacks, killed 2,977 people and instigated the global war on terror. The United States led a Participan ...

, style="text-align:left;",

Miami Miami is a East Coast of the United States, coastal city in the U.S. state of Florida and the county seat of Miami-Dade County, Florida, Miami-Dade County in South Florida. It is the core of the Miami metropolitan area, which, with a populat ...

, style="background:#D3D3D3", 32° , , 30 , , 30.8 , , .427 , , .375 , , style="background:#D3D3D3", .930° , , 6.0 , , 2.0 , , 1.0 , , 1.8 , , 1.9 , , 11.8 , - , style="text-align:left;",

2003 2003 was designated by the United Nations as the International Year of Fresh water, Freshwater. In 2003, a Multi-National Force – Iraq, United States-led coalition 2003 invasion of Iraq, invaded Iraq, starting the Iraq War. Demographic ...

, style="text-align:left;",

New York New York most commonly refers to: * New York (state), a state in the northeastern United States * New York City, the most populous city in the United States, located in the state of New York New York may also refer to: Places United Kingdom * ...

, 33 , , 7 , , 25.8 , , .416 , , .363 , , .886 , , 5.5 , , 1.9 , , 1.1 , , 1.3 , , 1.9 , , 8.4 , - , style="text-align:left;",

2004 2004 was designated as an International Year of Rice by the United Nations, and the International Year to Commemorate the Struggle Against Slavery and Its Abolition (by UNESCO). Events January * January 3 – Flash Airlines Flight 60 ...

, style="text-align:left;",

, style="background:#D3D3D3", 34° , , 33 , , 30.8 , , .463 , , .461 , , .925 , , 7.2 , , 2.0 , , 1.1 , , 1.7 , , 2.4 , , 11.6 , - , style="text-align:left;",

2005 2005 was designated as the International Year for Sport and Physical Education and the International Year of Microcredit. The beginning of 2005 also marked the end of the International Decade of the World's Indigenous Peoples, Internationa ...

, style="text-align:left;",

, 33 , , 33 , , 28.9 , , .441 , , .388 , , .855 , , 6.9 , , 1.8 , , .8 , , 1.4 , , 1.8 , , 8.7 , - , style="text-align:left;", Career , style="text-align:left;", 7 years, 3 teams , 209 , , 168 , , 28.7 , , .424 , , .391 , , .845 , , 6.4 , , 2.1 , , 1.0 , , 1.5 , , 2.1 , , 10.1

Playoffs

, - , style="text-align:left;",

, style="text-align:left;",

, 3 , , 3 , , 35.0 , , .455 , , .545 , , .727 , , 6.0 , , 2.3 , , .7 , , .7 , , 3.0 , , 14.7 , - , style="text-align:left;",

, style="text-align:left;",

, 5 , , 5 , , 30.8 , , .395 , , .308 , , .800 , , 6.8 , , 2.0 , , .8 , , 1.8 , , 2.4 , , 8.4 , - , style="text-align:left;",

, style="text-align:left;",

, 2 , , 2 , , 29.5 , , .300 , , .333 , , 1.000 , , 4.0 , , 1.0 , , 1.5 , , 1.0 , , .5 , , 4.5 , - , style="text-align:left;", Career , style="text-align:left;", 3 years, 2 teams , 10 , , 10 , , 31.8 , , .407 , , .407 , , .783 , , 6.0 , , 1.9 , , .9 , , 1.3 , , 2.2 , , 9.5 , -

References

External links

Official website

WNBA Player Profile

{{DEFAULTSORT:Baranova, Elena 1972 births Living people Basketball players at the 1992 Summer Olympics Basketball players at the 1996 Summer Olympics Basketball players at the 2004 Summer Olympics Russian expatriate basketball people in Israel Fenerbahçe women's basketball players Medalists at the 1992 Summer Olympics Medalists at the 2004 Summer Olympics Miami Sol players New York Liberty players Olympic basketball players for Russia Olympic basketball players for the Unified Team Olympic bronze medalists for Russia Olympic gold medalists for the Unified Team Olympic medalists in basketball Power forwards Russian expatriate basketball people in Italy Russian expatriate basketball people in Spain Russian expatriate basketball people in Turkey Russian expatriate basketball people in the United States Russian women's basketball players Kyrgyzstani women's basketball players Soviet women's basketball players Sportspeople from Bishkek Utah Starzz players WNBA All-Stars 20th-century Russian sportswomen 21st-century Russian sportswomen