The Middletown Press (Middletown, CT)
Quinnipiac’s Strautmane eyes playing for Latvia
STORRS — Paula Strautmane is an upbeat person by nature but when a recent conversation turned to potential opportunities with the Latvian national team, the Quinnipiac junior forward became downright giddy.
The Riga, Latvia native has represented her country in international competition dating back to 2011 but over the summer came her introduction to life with the senior women’s national team as she was one of four players 21 or younger who helped Latvia win two games at the 2017 FIBA EuroBasket Women event in the Czech Republic, including one over Serbia to secure a berth in the quarterfinals. Latvia is not only one of 16 teams taking part in the 2018 FIBA World Cup for Women tournament being held in Spain in September, but they landed in the same group as the two-time defending champion United States squad.
“I was a rookie, last player on the bench but you have to go through that,” Strautmane said. “This summer the national team is preparing for worlds. We are in the same group as the United States so it would be really awesome if we made the team, but the conditions are really tough. I will try to get through with my school year, try to get my internship that I need for my (engineering) degree, get home and do my best to make that roster.”
Latvia’s run ended with a loss to a veteran team from Spain led by Alba Torrens, a two-time FIBA Europe Women’s Player of the Year. Strautmane didn’t play in that game but did get to square off with her share of veterans during the tournament.
“It is tough, they don’t care that you are younger they are just going to go, they are really smart and it is a good experience,” Strautmane said.
Strautmane was able to go through the experience with her close friend Kitija Laksa, a star at South Florida who was Latvia’s second-leading scorer in the tournament.
Strautmane, whose junior season at Quinnipiac ended with a loss to UConn at Gampel Pavilion, made the drive to see Laksa face the Huskies at Gampel in the regular season finale. Strautmane, who has helped Quinnipiac win one game in the WNIT and three in the NCAA tournament, was rather disappointed when hearing of South Florida’s first-round exit in the NCAA tournament. Her sister Digna, a freshman at Syracuse, also saw her team lose its NCAA tournament opener. There was no gloating from Strautmane as being the last of the trio standing during March Madness.
“I talked to her (Digna) and was really heartbroken that they lost,” Strautmane said. “I was really happy that me, my sister and my friend from South Florida, we all made it to the NCAA tournament and it was exciting getting those single digit seeds.
“My freshman year we lost in the MAAC championship game which was really heartbreaking, probably the hardest locker room I had to go into but next year we came back stronger and made the Sweet 16. Maybe that is going to be the lesson from my sister and maybe next year they will make it to the Final Four or whatever. She knows, she is not as emotional as I am, she takes things more rationally.”