Gdynia, Poland.  I have been here for about 2 weeks and it has been going well so far!  We have been working extremely hard in the preseason, with morning and evening practices lasting about 2 hours each.  Our coach, who is a former men’s coach, had us scrimmage against 4 different boys teams as part of the preparation.  Our first game in the Polish league will be this Sunday in Gorzow.  The club seems to be very organized and helpful, which I love.  And trust me, it could be a lot different from my experience!

I can tell that Gdynia is a nice area to live in.  I love my apartment and car!  We have a good group of girls, who work hard, but are also a lot of fun and really make me laugh.  We had a press conference introducing the team this past week and the #1 question for me was about the Polish citizenship!  The truth of the matter is that I have no idea about what is going on with that!  Afterwards, this article was printed in the paper.  I think that I have never looked as old as I do in this picture!  It seems as though my skin is moving off my body!

I am heading down to Florida on Sunday, August 3 - Saturday August 9th.   No, not for what someone might instantly think, the beach or night life, but it will be for basketball.   I will work with a shooting coach, Marvin Harvey, otherwise known as “The Teacher” for a week.  Yes, it sounds like I am going back to school.  Marvin is well known among both NBA and WNBA players for his ability to develop great shooters.  I had worked with him 4 years ago and felt that he really helped my game.

You can check out his “Shooter’s Touch Academy” at: http://na4tb.com

Also, view the link “All Pro” on the left hand side of the website for pictures of the professional players that he has worked with over the years.

I can not tell you how excited I am to play my first Euroleague season! It is where I have wanted to be since I started playing in Europe 6 years ago. I started at the bottom and worked my way up, with nothing being handed to me- a great feeling. Of course, however, now that I will be given this opportunity, there is still a lot left to get done!

A few days ago, FIBA Europe had its draw for the Euroleague teams, including my new team Lotos Gdynia. We will play in Group C with 5 other teams, including Ros Casares (Spain), USK Prague (Czech Republic), Union Halnaut Basket (France), UMMC Ekterinburg (Russia) and JBS Sibenik (Croatia).

I checked out the rosters from various teams and it looks like the whole WNBA is coming to play in Europe again. Of course, my team Lotos Gdynia signed some big names such as Alana Beard, who is among the top scorers in this year’s WNBA season with 18.3 points/game for the Washington Mystics. Also, there is a rumor that our team is after Tamika Catchings as well.

Lotos Gdynia also announced the hiring of its new head coach- Jacek Winnicki. Sounds like it will be an exciting season!  You can check out our teams website for up to date information at:  http://lotospkobp.pl/

It is that time of year again! ….summer camp time that is! After a long season, this year I had asked myself, do I really need to work this summer? Well, not really to be honest! But, the truth is, I really enjoy working with young basketball players and developing talent. There is no better emotional reward for me than helping a young player enhance their game and seeing results.

Of course, I also would like do something again in my hometown, Williamstown, New Jersey. It would be a chance to give back to my community that has given so much to me. However, that is a little complicated right now, and I chalk it up to the idea that there is a time for everything.

Therefore, for the 2nd year in a row, I will work at the Philadelphia 76ers summer basketball camp. The camp is held up in the beautiful Pocono Mountains, which are located in Stoudsburg, Pennsylvania. I had really enjoyed doing this camp last summer and wanted to be a part of it again.

I will help coordinate the girls’ program, which lasts for 2 weeks, from June 29th - July 12th. It is the chance to work with players who come from over 40 countries and also great staff, lead by camp director, Todd Landrey. He runs a great show.

Throughout the week, appearances are made by NBA players, who give motivational speeches for the campers… and the staff too!

Go Sixers! For more information, go to sixerscamps.com

Michelle signed a 2-year contract with a Euroleague team from Poland, Lotos Gdynia. Last season, in the Euroleague, Lotos made it to the Eighth-Final Play-offs. In the Polish league, the team finished the regular season a perfect 24-0 and lost in the final against Wisla for a 2nd place finish.

You can visit the team’s website and also see the team here.

Michelle said, “For such a long time, I have worked extremely hard in order to get to this level. I feel good about this commitment with Lotos Gdynia. I am very excited to not only play in the Euroleague, but also to have the chance to live in Poland and explore my roots.”

The new season starts on September 1st. Over the next few weeks we will keep you updated on Michelle’s new team as well as other things going on.