Seattle Storm sign Svetlana Abrosimova

SEATTLE, June 29, 2012 – Svetlana Abrosimova, a member of the Seattle Storm's 2010 WNBA championship team, has signed with the Storm as a free agent.  Abrosimova met the team on the East Coast and is expected to suit up for the Storm's next game at 1:00 p.m. Saturday against New York at the Prudential Center in New Jersey.

The Storm roster now stands at 11 players including Lauren Jackson, who will rejoin the team after the London Olympic Games.

"Svetlana obviously has got experience with our team," said head coach and general manager Brian Agler. "She was part of our championship team in 2010 - played a really big role on that team. She's an aggressive defensive player; she's a risk-taker. I don't think that's so bad for our team right now. I think she gives us length on the perimeter. She gives us another ballhandler in the pick-and-roll. I think she'll do well with the people we have on our team."

Abrosimova, a 6-2 forward, returns to Seattle and the WNBA after spending the last two seasons with UMMC Ekaterinburg in the Russian Premier League. She played alongside Storm teammate Sue Bird during the 2011-12 campaign.

Abrosimova has played nine seasons in the WNBA, including stops at Minnesota, Connecticut and most recently with the Storm in 2010. She was part of Seattle’s 2010 WNBA championship roster, appearing in all 34 regular season contests, starting one, and all seven of the Storm’s postseason games. On the season, she averaged 7.6 ppg, 3.2 rpg, 2.0 apg in 20.2 mpg. Abrosimova owns WNBA career averages of 9.5 ppg, 4.2 rpg, 2.1 apg, and 1.4 spg.

The No. 7 overall pick of the 2001 WNBA Draft, Abrosimova spent seven seasons with the Minnesota Lynx, including two playing for Agler. After a brief stint with the Connecticut Sun following the 2008 Olympics, Abrosimova took the 2009 WNBA campaign off but returned to the league with the Storm in 2010.

From St. Petersburg, Russia, Abrosimova played college basketball at the University of Connecticut. She spent three years alongside Bird and Chicago Sky forward Swin Cash and helped the Huskies win the 2000 NCAA Championship.