"We are boiling in our own juice, there is no serious competition."

This year will see the most unpredictable Final Four of the Fonbet Russian Basketball Cup, says Nika leader Anastasia Logunova. In an interview with Izvestia and SE, the vice-champion of the 2020 Olympics in 3x3 basketball not only shared her opinion on the upcoming battle in Ekaterinburg (January 30-February 1), but also explained why it's not easy for Russian clubs and national teams to return to the international level, highlighted the strengths and weaknesses of Anastasia Olairi Kosu, and spoke about the reasons why top foreign basketball players continue to join our clubs.

It would be great if there were 14-16 teams in the Premier League

- What are your expectations from the upcoming Final Four?

- I think that this Final Four of the Russian Cup will be the most unpredictable in recent years. "Dynamo" plays the whole season with ups and downs, MBA - MSUSIT are still young but aggressive, BC UMMC recently suffered a very painful defeat to "Yenisei", "Nika" can win against anyone and lose an unnecessary match.

- You have a semifinal with Dynamo. Last year you played each other in the semifinals of the championship. What do you need to win?

- First of all, we need to believe in ourselves. If we play our game, we will be hard to stop. Secondly, we have already beaten them this season, we just need to repeat this result.

- Kursk Dynamo moved to Tula. Do you think it is much harder for them to play?

- I think it is calmer in Tula in any case. It's hard to explain, but internally it can't help but affect them. It can be felt. If we say that Tula is not home, then initially we all come to a team that is from another city. So I don`t think it puts a lot of pressure on them. They play very well anyway.

- We recently discussed with Raisa Musina the fact that many girls have been seriously injured this season.

- Yes, that's right! Only we have four players - Natasha [Jaseviciene], Kadasha [Hoppy] and Sevara [Nuritdinova] and Katya [Fedorenkova]. I wish them a speedy recovery, by the way.

- In other teams - Daria Ignatova, Anna Pozdnyakova, Elizaveta Zaryazhko. What do you think are the reasons?

- It seems to me that we have quite a high density of games now, and we don't have time to recover. I also think that the injuries in "Nike" are connected with the fact that our gym has not the best quality floor, maybe the problems are related to this. Just two days ago Masha Krymova got a serious injury. She will be missed by IBA and our national team at the tournament in Belarus. Mashulya, come back soon!

- Do you really think that with 11 teams in the Premier League you play a lot?

- Maybe the games are not so even, but in January we have a very heavy workload. It can not but affect the condition of the players.

- And if we talk about the tournament as a whole, 11 clubs - is it enough for the Premier League?

- And this is not very good. I would like, of course, more. Some teams in the Super League could change their residence to a higher division. But it requires a lot of work. It would be great if there were 14-16 teams in the Premier League.

Kosu is getting his minutes under very strong competition

- Despite all the external circumstances, top legionnaires - Holmes, Lysec, Linskens, Nogic - keep coming to us. Why do you think?

- Of course, most of them come because of big salaries. But people like Kiyara [Linskens] or Eva [Lisec] probably go because they have played here before and they like it here.

- A couple days ago, there was news that Anastasia Olairi Kosu might be a candidate for the Women's NBA Draft. Does she have a chance of being selected?

- I am very excited about this news itself. I'm sure Kosu can try herself and is capable of playing in this league. Her physicality will be very useful in the level of access that the WNBA has. During her three years in Ekaterinburg, she has been growing steadily, getting her minutes against very strong competition.

- What can play against her?

- Unfortunately, she doesn't have a stable long-range shot. But she's good without it, too. She can do a lot of other things. I think she won't have any problems.

- Who of our other female basketball players could interest WNBA clubs?

- I don't see any others, unfortunately. We can consider, for example, Jana Elberg. But she needs to prove herself in more competition. And time is running out. I can't name any other young players, because they don't have the same conditions for growth as Kosu. That's for sure.

Basketball is much tougher in Europe

- What fundamentally changed in your life after the silver medal in 3x3 basketball in Tokyo?

- Nothing, actually. There are warm memories from the success in Tokyo and a dream come true. Life goes on.

- And now you continue to follow this kind of basketball? Could our national team show itself at the Games in Paris in 2024?

- If our national team trained like before the 2020 Games, I think we would be among the top four at the 2024 Olympics.

- And how would the men play?

- I think that men's 3x3 basketball is more developed everywhere, so we would be in the top six.

- You and I were saying that women's basketball undeservedly gets little attention. Are the clubs and players themselves doing everything to "please" the audience?

- Some clubs are developing their social networks quite well, but compared to men's clubs, the difference is very big.

- It's a vicious circle: there is little attention, but the clubs themselves do almost nothing. Don't you think that the problem is in the teams themselves?

- I agree. We need time, we need qualified staff. You need to invest in that. And why invest if others don't need it. It turns out that there is no development in this direction.

- Are you active in your social networks?

- I have one, but I don't post anything there.

- Then please tell me, what is your marketing value? You have an Olympic silver medal!

- I don't know, it turns out I don't have any. Anyway, it seems to me that it's all a complex work and it depends not only on the players.

- Do you follow international tournaments?

- I watch a little bit of the Women's Euroleague.

- How would the teams participating in the Final Four of the Russian Cup play in international tournaments if we were brought back next season?

- It would be very hard. We have slightly different basketball. In Europe basketball is much tougher, we would have to get used to it for a long time.

- Why is that?

- Probably because we don't have these international competitions. We have less physical contact than in Europe. Obviously, we're in our own juice, there's no serious competition.

- So how will Kosu make her way to the U.S.? Will she be ready for such contact?

- Again, she has a lot of top legionnaires in her team, who don't give any indulgence to anyone. She is treated less ceremoniously at the same trainings.

Our national team has rejuvenated a lot, the results will not be taken from the ceiling

- Who are the strongest foreigners in our Premier League?

- Eva Lisiec. I know how she plays, how she thinks on the court. Head! Alexandria Bentley. It's very hard for the team without her, a real shooter. Bria Holmes. She looks perfect on the rim, strong physically.

- Jovana Nogic you didn't name.

- She's a very good player, but it's like she hasn't fully opened up. Maybe she still needs time.

- Which of our girls are your favorites?

- Sevara is the best point guard in Russia. Maria Klundikova (Musina) is a top-level player. I probably won't explain here. And Raya Musina. I think she and Masha are just talented people. How else to explain it? You can't hide talent!

- In the summer you often traveled around Russia with master classes. The Frolkin sisters did it too. Is enough attention paid to the development of women's basketball in the regions?

- This is a very complicated question. We can say that the RFBB does not pay enough attention to a region, but the opposite question: what does the region itself do for development? My girls and I traveled to the openings of the courts in the summer. When there are no games, our honored players travel to other months of the year, the process should be mutual. We go back to the same issue with the players. Regions don't want to - the RFB can't force or resist.

- Let's imagine. The day after tomorrow, our women's team goes out to play in the international 5x5 basketball competition. How will we look?

- I think the national team will be outside the top six. Our team is zeroed in and rejuvenated a lot. The results aren't going to come from the ceiling.

- We managed to attend the match for the Super Cup of Russia in Syktyvkar, where there was a great battle between Nika and BC UMMC. Last year the teams played in the championship final. Can we talk about some established rivalry between these two teams?

- Taking into account that our matches attract more and more attention lately, we can say so.

- Is it true that basketball is on the rise in Syktyvkar?

- Yes, people live basketball here! Our home games almost always have full stands... The number of children in sports schools is constantly increasing. From what I've seen, boys are signing up for basketball more and more. There are ads everywhere, our girls on banners. The growth is noticeable. Nothing happens all of a sudden. Nothing falls out of the sky. Nika held the Super Bowl in Syktyvkar - the federation leadership and famous basketball players came. Interest is growing, so there will be development.