Subscribe to Print Edition | Fri., December 19, 2008 Kislev 22, 5769 | | Israel Time: 02:52 (EST+7)   Back to Homepage web haaretz.com Haaretz Toolbar Diplomacy Defense Jewish World Opinion National Print Edition Car Rental Books Haaretz Magazine Business Real Estate GA 2008 Travel Week's End Anglo File

'I realized the WNBA wasn't for me' By Arie Livnat In yesterday's issue, Shay Doron discussed the American influence on her style of play, picked up during her time at Christ the King High School and the University of Maryland. After becoming the first Israeli to play for a professional basketball team - she appeared in seven games for the New York Liberty - she returned for a stint in Israel and then joined the Turkish club, Besiktas. Doron is not used to losing, so she is disappointed by her team's poor performance in the Euroleague. At least Besiktas is in the thick of things in the Turkish league, currently tied for third place with a 6-2 record. "The league here is on a high level," she said in a phone interview from Istanbul. "There are no 30-point blowouts. Many of the foreigners who played in Israel last year are now in Turkey, but there is more pressure from the local players because there are a million times more people here than in Israel." Advertisement How is it to live in Turkey? "I live in my own apartment, which I would happily rent. It's a perfect area. It's a one-minute walk from the stadium, a minute from the supermarket, and a minute from the mall. There's a lot to do here. I'm not one who parties in discos, but there's about four movie theaters and 20,000 restaurants here. I was pleasantly surprised by the people here. I didn't know what to expect, but people here are awfully nice. Everyone acts crazy here, just like in Israel." Playing for Besiktas has its benefits, too. "There's a club full of fans, and when I walk around the mall with the team sweatshirt, they treat me nicely and give me discounts." The only problem with the fans is that they aren't so interested in the women's team. "About 50 people come to a game on a good day," she explains, "but so far we haven't played Fenerbahce (1st place at 8-0) or Galatasaray (5th place at 5-3 but very popular). We're playing Feberbahce away on Sunday. It's like Elitzur Ramle against Ramat Hasharon, and I understand a lot of our fans will come out to the game." How are you coping with the language? "The coach and the manager speak English," she notes, "but my Turkish is better than their English. They know how to tell me what to do in a game and to laugh here and there, but it's not fluent English. It's impossible to analyze games on video and to see what needs to change." There have been rumors recently that you have received offers to join Israeli clubs mid-season. "I didn't hear of it. I plan to finish the season in Besiktas." So, after Israel and Turkey, will the next stage be the Russian league? "For sure, it's something I think about and would like, but I can't say that I'm ready to play there next season." And what about the WNBA? Do you want to try to return there this summer? With this year's developments - they lowered the number of teams from 13 to 11 - the answer is almost certainly no. There's so much politics there, my chance of making it is low." Once upon a time that was your dream. Do you feel you're missing out? "I don't feel I missed out because I have a lot to do in life. After I understood what was going on there, I realized it's not for me. At least not at the moment. I don't plan to waste six years there on the bench until I can play. Besides, it worked out well for me this summer because I had a good time with the national team." Bookmark to del.icio.us   Picking up the pieces U.S. Jews ponder 'catastrophic' effects of Bernard Madoff affair. Little Adolf Three-year-old Adolf Hitler finally gets his name on his birthday cake.

Read & React 3-year-old Adolf Hitler finally gets his name on his birthday cake Responses: 177 Barak: Iran could attack the U.S. with a nuclear bomb Responses: 132 Britain steps up fight against West Bank settlements Responses: 180 Leftist U.S. Jewish group backs Israelis who shun IDF draft Responses: 68 Jews of Yemen reportedly to be relocated in wake of deadly attack Responses: 33 More Headlines 00:14 Israel: We hold Hamas responsible for any future Gaza violence 01:10 Olmert: It is possible to negotiate peace deal with Syria 01:12 Eilat crash driver under house arrest; bodies of Russian victims flown home 23:34 Labor youth hand out condoms to avoid being 'screwed by Netanyahu' 02:32 Shady land deal unfolds from West Bank to California strip mall 00:04 IN PICTURES / The victims of Bernard Madoff's fraud scam 00:04 Palestinian journalists protest for release of Iraqi colleague who threw shoes at Bush 20:29 Want to help improve the Haaretz.com homepage? 01:54 Bush, Rice to host Palestinian leader Abbas in goodbye visit 22:28 Radioactive bomb-detection system installed in Haifa port 01:41 Netanyahu to Sarkozy: Israel can`t accept ongoing Gaza rocket fire 01:14 VIDEO / Hadassah Women: We lost $90 million in Madoff's Wall Street scam 15:53 School teacher dies after falling eight meters into Golan Heights stream 12:11 Israel bites back at UN watchdog over alleged strike on Syria reactor 10:59 Leftist U.S. Jewish group backs Israelis who shun IDF enlistment 14:46 Dozens of police officers injured in botched civil unrest drill 10:17 Exclusive Jewish country club feels the sting of Madoff fraud Previous Editions Select Day 18 dec 17 dec 16 dec 15 dec 14 dec 12 dec 11 dec 10 dec 09 dec 08 dec 07 dec 05 dec

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