STORRS, Conn. – Oleg and Ludmila Abrosimova scrimped and
saved, and they will be at senior night at Connecticut to escort
their daughter Svetlana onto the court, even though the
All-American will be on crutches instead of playing.
The 6-foot-2 senior forward tore a ligament in her left foot
while rebounding during UConn's loss to Tennessee last week and
will be out for the rest of the season. She is scheduled for
surgery Wednesday, two days after breaking the news of her injury
to her parents back in Russia.
"I cried. I cried all night," Ludmila Abrosimova said by phone
on Tuesday from the family's small apartment in St. Petersburg.
"My husband, he's a man, so he didn't cry, but he was very sad, of
course."
Abrosimova ends her college career fifth in career points
(1,865), seventh in rebounds (814) and third in steals (299) for
UConn.
Her parents never saw any of that. For four years, they kept
tabs on her accomplishments through phone calls, newspaper
clippings and an occasional glimpse at the Internet on a friend's
computer. There was so much to take in.
The UConn star, the younger of their two daughters, had helped
deliver the program's second national championship in five years
and, in her senior season, was having one of the best years of her
career.
She had circled Feb. 23 – the night the school honors seniors
and their parents – on the calendar. Her parents had saved for an
entire year on Oleg's shipyard worker's salary – the equivalent of
$3,000 – to make their first trip out of Russia.
Abrosimova was not available for comment Tuesday. In an earlier
interview, she recalled watching her teammates embrace their
families in the moments after beating Tennessee for the title last
year. It was bittersweet.
She didn't slow down much after the title game. Abrosimova
played for the Russian national team at the Sydney Olympics. Her
parents didn't see her play there, either. Senior night, against
St. John's, was going to be the night. They would escort her in
front of 10,000 fans at Gampel Pavilion, then settle back and – finally – watch her play.
The injury didn't change a thing, said her mother. They arrive
Feb. 20 and will stay for two weeks.
"Of course we're still coming to America," Ludmila said.
"There could not be any other way. We must come see her. We are
family. We have to see how she is living, even if we can't see how
she's playing."
Coach Geno Auriemma can fill them in on what they've missed.
"She has always played the game the way it needs to be played,
and has always played hard and played with a lot of class," a
subdued Auriemma said Tuesday.
He and the team also learned Monday of the severity of
Abrosimova's injury. She was initially diagnosed with a sprained
foot, but further tests revealed the tear.
"I think the shock of this hit her really hard (Tuesday)
morning. No more practice," Auriemma said. "No more playing.
Here's a kid who's playing basketball year-round since she was 15
years old. Every single day she probably had a basketball in her
hands.
"And now it's taken away from her."
Ludmila said her daughter consoled her during that tearful
Monday night phone call and said they'll get a chance to see her
play some day as a professional.
"Sveta doesn't cry," said Ludmila. "She tells me, 'Mother,
don't cry.' She says not to worry, that she will still play."
It just wasn't supposed to end this way.
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