Experienced New Zealand Jillian Harmon (185-PF-87, agency: LBM Management) had an amazing evening in the last round for Ragusa and that's her to receive a Interperformances Player of the Week award for round 11.
The 31-year old power forward had a double-double of 28 points and eleven rebounds, while her team crushed Battipaglia (#10, 2-9) with 16-point margin 79-63. Ragusa maintains the 3rd position in Italian Serie A1. They would have been even better if they hadn't lost a few games earlier this season. Ragusa will need more victories to improve their 8-3 record. Harmon turned to be Ragusa's top player in her first season with the team. Stanford University graduate has very impressive stats this year. Harmon is in league's top in rebounds (8th best: 9.0rpg) and averages solid 54.2% FGP.
Ragusa is currently 9 - 4 and in 4th place.
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M
ithra Castors Braine
made a great deal when they signed WNBA player Karlie Samuelson for this
season. A California girl found her way to Belgium. Two weeks ago Samuelson
joined the team and she immediately made a big impression. With Samuelson,
Braine wants to make a big run in the Euroleague this season. And so far,
Braine and Samuelson are a perfect match. You finally played
your first games for Braine. How was that? They were fun. It takes time to get
used to playing with new people and new coaches. I like how we are getting to
know each other.
Your debut in the
Euroleague was impressive. 18 points, 3 rebounds, an assist, one steal in 28
minutes. How good did that make you feel? Thank you! It felt really good! I
know I put in work in the off season and so it feels good to do well in my
first Euroleague game. There will always be ups and downs in a season but it
definitely boosted confidence for me and the win most importantly boosted
confidence of the team.
You already
committed to Braine in April? What
convinced you half a year ago Belgium was the place to be? I really wanted
to play for a Euroleague team and I heard good things about this club and
decided to give it a go! Also, I had heard really good things about the country
and so far, I am really liking living here.
You are known as a
shooter playing for Stanford as a college player. You were one of college
basketball’s top three-point shooters: 47.7 percent. The third best in the
country. Where did you learn to shoot like that? My dad taught my
sisters and I how to shoot. We spent a lot of time in the gym working on
shooting, so I’m thankful to have my dad and my mom be so supportive and
invested in me and my growth as a basketball player.
Your older sister
Bonnie played for Stanford as well, your younger sister Katie-Lou plays for
Connecticut. How was that? Three competitive sisters growing up together? Growing up
together and playing the same sport allowed us to spend so much time together
as a family. It is the reason we are so close. Yes, it was very competitive and
definitely made us all better basketball players. I learned how to hold my own
and be physical against my sisters, as they both ended up a good few inches taller
than me.
As sisters, you
evaluated each other after games. That will be difficult now. How do you keep
contact nowadays? I
talk to my sisters all the time on FaceTime. My whole family watched that first
Euroleague game live on YouTube and they were all very excited for me. My
little sister’s season is starting in a week and I always talk with her about
how she is playing and feeling. Unfortunately, I have to wait a day or two to
stream her games because I am over here in Europe, but I have watched every
single one of her college games and I plan on continuing that this year.
Your father was a
professional basketball player in England, your mother a netball player. Who
gave all three of you their talents? Both my parents taught all of us how to
shoot and play basketball. It was always a family affair, growing up going to
practices and games together. Every year I think both of them taught each of us
something new to add to our games.
Your father is
American, your mother is from England. Bonnie chose to play for Great Britain’s
national team, Katie-Lou is playing for the United States. This summer you
played for the national team of Great Britain for the first time. It was an
incredible experience playing for the Great Britain National team for the first
time this year. The girls are so nice and we won two big games together.
Was your mother
proud? My
mom was definitely proud of me. Last year my mom and I visited her sister in
England. That was the first time I had ever been there and the first time she
had been back in 23 years. She is coming again this November with me. I am
proud to represent the country that my mom is from.
It is possible you
might have to go against Katie-Lou in the future playing on different national
teams. That must be strange? It has always been a dream of mine to play
against my sister. I never got the chance to in college, so playing against her
and the USA team while on the Great Britain team would be a crazy and really
fun experience. And playing with my sister in the future is a dream of mine as
well.
This year you
played in the WNBA for the LA Sparks. How was that experience? My first WNBA
season was quite an experience. I had a lot of fun and learned so much about
the game and about myself. And to be part of the LA Sparks was an absolute
dream. I learned so much from playing with incredible players like Candace
Parker, Chelsea Gray, Nneka Ogwumike and Alana Beard. Being able to play at
Staples Center in front of my family and friends is something I am extremely
proud of.
In 2017 you played
strong in training camp for the Sparks but due to a fractured foot you were not
able to complete camp so you didn’t make the team. Was it an extra motivation
to make the team this year? I would say that fracturing my foot after
playing well in camp definitely motivated me to work as hard as possible and
improve my game to try to make the team the next year. I actually kept a WNBA
logo that fell off of one of my shorts in my wallet the entire year to remind
myself what I was working for.
Katie-Lou will be
one of the top picks in the WNBA in 2019. What can you tell her about life as a
professional player? I
talk to my sister all the time about how to improve her game and how physical
professional basketball can be. She has improved so much over her first three
years in college and I am proud of how versatile she has become and the kind of
leader she is on her team. I tend to learn a thing or two from her nowadays as
well. The most important thing though is to be healthy, strong, and feeling
good. We love to workout together in the small amount of time we get in the off
season.
On Instagram I
found a picture of you with Magic Johnson, Kobe Bryant and your sister. Are you
a Hollywood celebrity or where you at the right spot at the right time? Haha definitely
not a celebrity. That was right after I fractured my foot. Penny Toler got me
tickets for my family and myself for the season opener at Staples Center.
Kobe’s daughter’s favorite player is Katie Lou and so we all got to say hi to
her and talk with Kobe and Magic. It’s nice having a superstar little sister.
You played for the
Sparks this year, played for the GB national team and you played in Italy. And
now you have a full season ahead. That’s a heavy workload. How do you keep
fresh? Life
as a professional basketball player is definitely a lot of work because it is
almost a year-round season. I make sure to keep my body feeling healthy with
proper workouts and recovery but most importantly I keep my mind right by
talking with my family and friends. I try to keep a positive mindset and remind
myself to really enjoy these experiences that basketball has given me because
playing basketball as my job is not something I can do forever. So I do not
want to take it for granted.
Last question.
After growing up in California and a full year in Italy. How do you like rainy
Belgium? I
have been spoiled growing up in the California weather! I am cold! But I just
put on three jackets, a rain coat, scarf and a hat and I am good to go.
Castors Braine is 12 -1 and in 1st place. Karlie is averaging 16.1 ppg averaging approximately 26 minutes per game. She is shooting 55% on 3 pointers.
