From Russia with love: Lynx teammates Kliundikova, Olairi Kosu lean on each other


3 days ago 13

Diving in

At 26, Kliundikova is in her second WNBA stint.

Drafted No. 11 overall by the Sparks in 2018 (when she was Maria Vadeeva) she spent two seasons in L.A. before returning to Europe. There, she won two EuroLeague titles with UMMC Ekaterinburg, in 2019 and 2021.

The Sparks re-signed Kliundikova in February but waived her in May.

“I was sad, but I had one or two weeks to rest,” Kliundikova said. “After I started to practice [again], my agent asked me, ‘Do you want to go to Minnesota?’ And of course I said, ‘Yes.’ ”

Lynx associate head coach Eric Thibault called Kliundikova “an easy fit.”