Elina Aarnisalo, 18, has already excelled on European basketball courts, but she will go to university in the United States next year.
– Aarnisalo, you’re a mile late! Head coach of the Finnish women’s national basketball team Ilkka Palviainen hang out in Urhea hall in Helsinki.
The great promise of Finnish basketball Elina Aarnisalo at least he doesn’t get any special treatment in the women’s national team when he lags behind his teammate in defense.
Palviainen blows his whistle and interrupts the exercises. The situation is replayed. This time, Aarnisalo succeeds and forces his defenders into a difficult solution.
The national team’s training is underway. The team is honing its patterns for the first qualifying games of the 2025 European Championship. On Thursday, Bulgaria will face Bulgaria on the away field, and on Sunday, the EC semi-final team Hungary will come to Urhea.
Aarnisalo has recently been making a splash on the basketball courts. 18-year-old Aarnisalo was the basketball queen of her age group at the European Championship. Only three other Finns have been able to do the same in the past: today, he is great in the NBA Lauri Markkanena sports legend Lea Hakala and Leena Vesala.
Aarnisalo was already Finland’s best basket maker in the adult national matches last February. She was also the best domestic scorer in the Women’s Basketball League last season in HBA-Märsky’s shirt.
This fall, he has excelled at the club team level in the second toughest club team competition in Europe, the Eurocup. Aarnisalo has led the game of Belgian Mechelin in an exemplary manner.
Among seasoned European professionals and WNBA players, Aarnisalo has played a big role when Mechelen has overthrown the following familiar names in European football: Panathinaikos from Greece and Besiktas from Turkey.
The only surprise, according to Aarnisalo, was the fact that Belgian and French are spoken in Mechelin. That’s not what Aarnisalo is talking about yet, so some things have passed while the teammates are talking. It hasn’t been seen on the playing field, when everyone knows English.
After the national team’s training, head coach Palviainen praises Aarnisalo’s start abroad as fantastic.
– He has dominated the youth value competitions and has been an especially tough basket maker. Elina has got a huge role in the team. The challenge has been big, but he has responded brilliantly to it. Elina has been a great and fantastic basket maker, but she has gone further in leading the game and playing passes. Elina has taken huge steps in these matters, says Palviainen.
Education weighs heavily in a special career solution
However, Aarnisalo is making a special move in his career. Although he is already playing at the top level in Europe, he is going to play college basketball in the United States next season.
– Education is also important to me and my family. I get to study while playing basketball at a good level. It is really important, Aarnisalo opens.
In America, basketball is also different compared to Europe.
– The university gives you visibility in America. In America, basketball is such a big deal.
He reminds that there are also really good players on the university courts.
– I trust that I will be able to develop there when I am there for four years, says Aarnisalo.
WNBA in mind
Aarnisalo has not yet decided on his major, but it is something related to natural sciences, chemistry or biology. Today, even at the university, you can make money with various cooperation agreements. Aarnisalo’s future study program at UCLA has told openlyhow also, historically, the entire women’s basketball team receives money with so-called NIL contracts.
Aarnisalo is aware of the NIL money and considers it a great addition, but according to him, the money still did not influence the decision to go to the United States.
The 18-year-old promise says that he wants to reach either the Euroleague or the WNBA in his career. Of the two, the WNBA is a bit more interesting. However, it is the highest level you can reach.
Going to university also serves the WNBA goal.
– There is talk that it is easier to get into the WNBA through the university because of the visibility. WNBA agents follow a lot of college basketball. In that sense, it’s easier to get into the WNBA from college. You also get used to the American way of playing, says Aarnisalo.