Finnish basketball star Awak Kuier has started his first season in Europe’s first league in the Euroleague very well. Kuier has put the ball in the basket with an average of 17.9 points. She is the third best scorer in the entire series.
On Wednesday, Kuier set his Euroleague scoring record against Fenerbahce from Turkey, when he tallied 24 points.
Venezia, represented by Kuier, fought hard against Fenerbahce, the number one team in Europe in recent years, but lost 71–79.
The Finn’s record-breaking night will have tough proportions when you look at the starting line-up of Fenerbahce, who won the previous two Euroleague championships.
Two European Championship gold medalists, two Olympic silver medalists and one Olympic champion.
Against these, Awak Kuier succeeded
Belgian Emma Meesseman of these players plays the same slot as Awak Kuier. He is one of the best players in the world.
Meesseman was clearly the basketball queen of the Paris Olympics. He was selected as another Fenerbahce star by Gabby Williams with the star five of the games. Williams even came close to leading France to a sensational Olympic gold.
In its eight Euroleague games, Suomalaištahtih has also played against many other stars and tough teams, for example against Prague, who reached the top four in the previous three seasons.
It will be difficult for Venezia to advance to the top eightbut the Finn has made a difference.
Awak Kuieri is represented by two Italian agents Alessandro Schilardi and Gianluca Duri.
When you ask them in a video call for an assessment of the current level of a Finnish star, a wild claim comes out.
– In terms of his skills, Awak is currently among the top five Europeans. Taking experience into account, he’s in the top ten. We must remember that before this season he has not played in Europe at the highest level, says Gianluca Duri.
23-year-old Kuier still has a chance to develop a lot.
– With Awak, it is impossible to understand where his ceiling is, Duri incenses.
Compliments to Finland from Italy
Next to whom is Finland’s number one star among the Euroleague’s best scorers this time? Even the listing is hard to read.
The aforementioned Emma Meesseman, one of the best in the world, has so far recorded the same point average as Kuier. At the club team level, Meesseman is a six-time Euroleague winner and 2019 WNBA champion as well as Finals MVP.
Second ahead of Kuieri is his former teammate from the Dallas Wings, Natasha Howard. The American Howard is, among other things, a three-time WNBA champion, a two-time WNBA star player and a two-time Euroleague champion.
A 35-year-old American is currently at the top Emma Cannonwho has had a long and successful career on European courts. In the 2020 WNBA, Cannon was a member of the final team Las Vegas Aces.
Kuier herself missed the WNBA season last summer, citing her fatigue. He had worked for almost four years straight without breaks, playing in Europe and in the WNBA.
Kuier described to during the European Championship qualifiers in November that the WNBA break has now been reflected in better performances in Europe.
Instead of WNBA games, Kuier spent the summer training in Finland.
Alessandro Schilardi would like to thank the staff of the Finnish national team and basketball academy HBA-Märsky, from coaches to physiotherapists.
– Awak did a wonderful job with them. We have already seen the results and development of the work, Schilardi enthuses.
Direct advice from an agent
So what does Kuieri’s future look like?
He told during the EC qualifiers that it is a 50–50 situation whether he will return to the WNBA next year. In the horizontal cup, Kuieri has the desire to play in North America, but on the other hand, his own health.
According to the Italian agent duo, they will make a decision about the coming summer together with Kuier during the next month.
– Our advice to Awaki has been to spend a couple of years outside the WNBA, rest and develop his skills, Gianluca Duri reveals.
According to Duri, after a couple of years like this, Kuier can play at a higher level in the WNBA.
– We hope that we will make a good and winning solution when the time comes, says Duri.
The WNBA also changed its rules last year to require players to be present from the first training camps.
They started so early last spring that Kuier could not have played the rest of the season in Italy if he had wanted to go to the WNBA.
The American star chastised Finland in the European Championship qualifiers in Slovenia’s shirt in November Jessica Shepard couldn’t because of this rule From Venice to the WNBA.
Now, because of her WNBA dreams, she plays in Greece, where the season ends on time.
According to Alessandro Schilard, there may be exceptions to the training camp rule if the club owners so wish.
Loud talk about the future
In Kuieri’s first three-year WNBA stint, the Finn’s responsibility was small. We only saw glimpses of him from time to time.
Alessandro Schilardi justifies this with a different style of play and a completely new situation for Kuier, who is quite young compared to others in the league.
In Schilard’s opinion, the Finn could have been played more, and Kuier did not get to fully show his own skills.
However, Schilardi does not explain or regret the past, but believes that there will be new opportunities in the future.
According to Kuieri’s agents, the Finnish star’s recent top performances in the Euroleague have attracted a lot of attention in North America.
Italian agents say that, according to their American partner, several WNBA clubs have now paid attention to Kuieri.
– When Awak returns to the WNBA, the situation will be completely different from before, Schilardi believes.
Although the Finnish star missed the previous WNBA season, his player rights are still with Dallas. His their contractual situation is suspended-expired in English.
– I believe that anything can happen, Schilardi describes the situation.