"Russia has a proper vertical line from sports schools to the Premier League"

At the end of July, it became known that Marya Boyko would continue her career in the NCAA. The former IBA basketball player will play for the Maryland Terrapins. The college won the NCAA smartly in 2006 and reached the Final Four four more times (most recently in 2015). The 18-year-old center was named the MVP of the DUBL championship last season, and also made her debut for the Moscow club, playing seven matches. In total, Boyko spent three seasons with the Russian club.

In an interview with Izvestia and Sport-Express, Boyko spoke about the reasons for her upcoming move to the United States and her progress in Russia.

"I would like to understand and learn how to play contact basketball"

— Let's get this straight first. Is your name Marya and is it written with a "b"?

— Yes, that's right. I have been called Masha and Maria many times, but my name is Marya. Mom wanted an unusual name, and she found one somewhere. I really like it because I've never seen it from anyone else. And very often I am remembered precisely because of my name. I don't take offense when they call me Masha, but I try to correct them whenever possible.

— What's your name for speed?

— They say "Mary," and that's okay. I don't have a nickname, it's probably hard to come up with such a combination of first and last names.

— How did the NCAA story come about?

— My contract with IBA-MGUSIT was coming to an end. There was an option with a trip to the USA, although initially I was against it. But by the end of the season, I was finally convinced that it's better to try it now than worry about the unrealized. I plan to go in the middle or at the end of August.

— Why did you choose the University of Maryland? After all, the team is very, very strong, has won the NCAA, and regularly goes to the March Madness, albeit not far away.

— As a rule, you grow faster with the strongest. I really want to develop, I work hard and try to assimilate all the information. I think this is a huge step both personally and in the game. The representatives of the coaching staff really liked the conversation. I am very glad that this opportunity has appeared.

— What role will you play in the team?

— First of all, I asked the coach about the general tactics of the team. Coach Brenda Fries explained to me how she sees me in the system and how she wants to use me. I liked her vision.

— I looked at the team's roster for the season — a very serious team. Aren't you afraid of competition?

— It all depends on me, my job is the key to playing minutes. So far, I can't say how hard it will be for me.

— There is an Englishwoman, a Slovenian, a Romanian, an Israeli in the team — a fairly international team. Were there any questions about the fact that you are Belarusian?

— No, it was never mentioned.

— What goals do you set for yourself in the NCAA?

— I would like to understand and learn how to play contact basketball, I want to test my strength, what I am capable of.

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"Do you think there's a big difference?"

— Naturally, there are more teams in Russia than in Belarus. I get fewer games at home, fewer teams, so the level is lower. More competition causes more contact and a greater desire to win. The competition in the NCAA is crazy.

— Do you follow Klundikova and Kosu in the WNBA?

— I don't watch games, only on social media.

— Well, are they pretty or not?

— Of course! They play in the WNBA, which is a very serious indicator. I don't know Maria, but Kosu and I went to summer camp together.

"My specialty is a nutritionist—nutritionist"

— Let's go back to last season. How would you rate it for yourself?

— I'll rate my season as a whole "not bad", but I could have done better. Due to the fact that I was thrown between the base and the double, I still couldn't show my maximum. The IBA reserve team is a very talented team, but we often lacked the cool heads to stop at the right moments. We lost a few matches in the end precisely for this reason, which is always a shame. Overall, everything looked good, but those moments cost us a few games we won. Somewhere there were stupid losses, somewhere there was no escape from under the ring — something was always missing.

I want to single out the young ones in the main team — Savukova and Krymova. We connected with Masha during training and began to interact well on the court.

— How do you like the Super League in general? Have you outgrown it?

— I think I'm a little bit above the Super League, but I'm not up to the Premier League. If you enter the Premier League, then not in the IBA, then in a team just below the level: gain experience, practice, and then raise your rank.

— So you think you haven't grown up to the main team of the MBA?

— Maybe I've grown up, but because of the large number of players, I wouldn't get into the rotation often.

— Tell the story of your sports life. How did you get into Timiryazevskaya?

— At the age of thirteen, I entered the Republican College in Minsk. We were gathered from all over the country into a team. In the ninth grade, I realized that I wanted something more in terms of basketball. It was then that we were banned from international competitions. Whenever we played with the Russians, it was clear that they were strong. It was noticeable at all tournaments that the girls from Russia are very prepared.

My parents called coach Tatiana Mikhailovna Neighbors. Everyone liked everything. There was another screening with the director of the sports school. We decided to move.

— How did your parents react to the decision to try their hand at the NCAA?

— We discussed this transition together with the coaches, the university administration, and the parents. We weighed everything and made a decision. It is clear that they are worried, after all, it is very far away.

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— Do you have a full scholarship?

— Yes, plus NIL payments are also required (the NCAA is gradually relaxing strict financial restrictions, and current players can already legally earn money from their own popularity. The so—called NIL contracts are Name, Image and Likeness. — Izvestia). I'm going to live on campus. We immediately discussed the living conditions. I contacted the coaches, and they said that I would have slightly different conditions, which I really liked.

— What concerns do you have before the trip?

— In general, I think it will not be very easy to get used to other people with a different mentality. It will be difficult with my psychotype, but again everything will depend only on me. The main thing is to be alert.

"How's your tongue?"

— It's hard with the language... I'm studying a lot now, plus I hope it will be easier among native speakers.

— What is your specialty in Maryland?

— Nutritionist-nutritionist.

"My role model in basketball is Ajah Wilson"

— How would you rate the results of the Premier League last season?

— I am very happy for Orenburg Nadezhda. Despite the fact that I played in the IBA, I really liked the game of this team. I'm glad they came second.

— What surprised you?

— Probably because Dynamo Kursk did not reach the semifinals. The crushing victory of Yenisei over UMMC is something with something!

— You and Maria Ushakova shared the "big" position in half in the second IBA. How do you like competing with her in minutes?

— I spent most of the season in the IBA-2 on the "four" after all. I liked that. Masha has grown a lot over the last couple of years. I won't say we're best friends, but we talk all the time. There were no conflicts. Competition provides an opportunity for growth.

— Who is your role model in basketball?

— Ajah Wilson. And I really like Gabby Williams. I prefer certain qualities of the players.

— Let's make a basketball "frankenstein" according to your favorite playing qualities?

— Come on. Do we take both Russian and foreign players?

— Yes, from the Premier League!

— We take the game thinking from Masha Krymova. She's very comfortable to play with. She sees everything. We take the equipment from Ashley Beverly.

"Speed?"

— The speed... and I do not even know… Sabrina Dovnar-Zapolskaya.

"Power?"

— Lera Yakovleva.

— The qualities of an assistant?

— Marina Goldyreva.

— The feeling of the ball when picking up?

— Nina Glonti or Maria Klyundikova.

— Playing with your back?

— Chiara Linskens.

— Leadership skills?

— Let's take Yulia Savukova.

"Protection?"

— Maybe the same Dovnar-Zapolskaya.

— Aggressive on the court?

— Karina Nizamova.

— It's been dealt with. Top 5 players in Russia right now?

— Krymova, Klundikova, Linskens, I can't live without her, Komarova, Beverly.

"Most NBA games look like a show-off"

— Do you follow men's basketball?

— I'm watching the United League matches. I like the way Mikhail Belenitsky plays defense. You can see that he is being put on the leaderboard. Even though he's tall, it's pretty easy for him to play against the little ones.

— Are you watching the NBA?

- no. Most of the matches look like a show-off. I don't really like that. I like Jokic and Doncic among the players. And, of course, I like Ja Morant's dunks. They look very cute.

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— Belarus, like Russia, is banned from tournaments under the auspices of FIBA. Do the girls miss the international?

— Yes, yes, especially the young ones really need matches with other national teams. 3x3 basketball has a little more variety, while 5x5 basketball has less.

— Do you think the Super League teams themselves are making efforts to increase their popularity?

— I don't think all the clubs think about it. I won't say that they are developing media, they are working out the necessary points more. They don't try very hard. Why? In this regard, I like the MBA. The women's teams were covered regularly.

— Which of the girls runs social networks well?

— Shchekoldina runs her Telegram channel well.

— Did you score from above?

— There is no ordinary ball, just a tennis ball and a bottle. Masha [Ushakova] scored from above.

— You've been in Russia for a long time, after all, you follow basketball in our country more. How do you like his development?

— I really like that the number of games has increased. Practice is very good. Many young players began to work more often on their individual readiness. Plus, there is a vertical line from the sports school to the Premier League. This allows you to go through all the stages. There is development, but there is not enough international cooperation.