Juice Thompson isn't the only former NU basketball player taking mad skillz to Europe. Amy Jaeschke has signed a pro contract with Chevakata, a team in Vologda, Russia, NU announced today.
The Russian league is one of the top pro leagues for women, with several WNBA stars heading overseas to earn extra paychecks there. (The WNBA plays during the summer, while the Russian PBL follows the traditional winter basketball schedule, so players can participate in both leagues.) Jaeschke made the team after a three-week tryout in Lithuania.
Jaeschke, who graduated this past June after a steller Wildcat career, became the first NU player drafted by the WNBA, going in the third round to her hometown Chicago Sky. Unfortunately, she didn't make the roster out of training camp, as the Sky were loaded at center, with US national team player Sylvia Fowles, veteran back-up Michelle Snow (acquired in a trade right after the draft), and 2nd round draft pick Carolyn Swords.
Hopefully the odds won't be quite as stacked against her with her new Russian team. Chevakata finished fifth in the Russian PBL last year, going 10-8, but in the EuroCup competition, which is the second tier European tournament (sort of like soccer's Europa League to the more prestigious Champions League), Chevakata made it to the semifinals, losing by one point to French side Arras, the eventual runners-up. (Never let it be said that we here at SoP don't go to great Google lengths to keep you informed.)
Should you happen to find yourself in Vologda to watch Jaeschke play, bring some warm clothes. The average highs in January are 16 degrees Fahrenheit. But you'll be entertained by the city's 224 monuments of history, architecture and culture. Vologda is also Russia's butter capital.