Author: Boris Karebin

For Mary Akinda, basketball became the pathway that brought her from Lagos to the United States in pursuit of a dream.

After arriving in America, Mary joined Barton Community College, where she spent two excellent seasons developing her game and growing into one of the leaders of the team. With hard work, discipline, and determination, she steadily improved every year and established herself as one of the program’s most important players.

During her sophomore season, Mary took another major step forward. She averaged more than 10 points and more than 10 rebounds per game, consistently recording double-doubles and becoming the clear centerpiece of her team. She played in 28 games, starting 20 of them, and made an impact every time she stepped onto the court.

Her performances quickly attracted the attention of some of the strongest universities in the country. Eventually, Rutgers University — one of the major basketball powerhouses in the United States — offered Mary a full basketball scholarship, a place on the roster, and the opportunity to continue both her athletic and academic career at the highest collegiate level.

Among many impressive offers, Mary chose Rutgers as the next destination in her journey.

Her story is another example of how college basketball can change lives and open doors for talented young athletes around the world. We hope that Mary continues to elevate her game and that one day we will see her competing on the stage of NCAA Division I Women’s Basketball Tournament and eventually hearing her name called in the WNBA Draft.

We wish her continued success, unforgettable victories, and the opportunity to make every dream become reality.

Breaking News:
Zane Straudovska has committed to Chipola College, BK Centre President Boris Karebin confirmed

Special thanks to her coach Anita Mikale from Ridzene and TTT junior team and to all Latvian Coaches who let it happened

Nate Altenhofen of AbbA LLC again has expedited communications on Zane’s behalf and the talented Latvian wing has quickly found her new basketball home in Florida.

The 6’1 athletic snyper averaged 15.1 ppg for TTT Riga Juniores.
Zane will be joining Chipola College in the Florida panhandle, strongly considered the top junior college conference in the Nation.

Zane’s coach Anita Mikale:

Ukrainian forward Elina Syniakova (6’2”) delivered an impressive and highly productive season with Butler Community College, confirming her high level of play and readiness for the next step in her career.

emerged as one of the key players on a team that finished the season among the top junior college programs in the United States. Her impact was especially crucial in decisive games: her strong performance in the tournament final helped Butler secure a conference championship and finish as the No. 2 team in the nation in NJCAA.

Prior to Butler, Irina was part of the Louisiana Tech University program, where she began her NCAA journey before transferring following her participation in the FIBA U18 European Championship. It was after this international exposure that she drew significant attention from scouts and coaches working in the U.S. college system.

A key role in Syniakova’s transition to Butler was played by BK-CENTRE. Following recommendations from European coaches, she was introduced to BK-CENTRE President Boris Karebin, who, together with his long-time partner Nathan Altenhofen, developed a pathway that led to her successful NJCAA season.

Now, after one of the strongest seasons of her career, Senyukova is actively exploring opportunities at the NCAA Division I level, with multiple programs showing interest.

Nathan Altenhofen also speaks highly of her potential and readiness for the next level:

“Irina is a player with a great feel for the game, strong physical tools, and valuable international experience. She has everything it takes to adapt quickly and establish herself at the Division I level.”

Elina is also a member of Ukraine’s youth national team and previously performed well at the European Championship, where she showcased her abilities on the international stage.

There is strong confidence that Irina’s next step will be a natural progression, and that she will soon secure her place among Division I athletes.

News: 5’11 Armenian Guard Seda Gabrielyan has officially signed with the University of Memphis sources confirm to BK Centre President Boris Karebin
As a Freshman, the opportunity to help new Head Coach Hana Haden grow the Memphis women’s program into a perennial contender in the American Conference was a huge reason in her decision, per Nate Altenhofen of AbbA LLC.

The Junior Team of TTT Riga has secured the bronze medals at the Latvian Women’s Basketball League Championship after defeating the Liepaja team in the final series.

Liepaja proved to be a young and ambitious opponent, and the battle remained evenly matched until the final quarter. Only in the closing stages of the series was TTT Riga able to pull away and secure the bronze medals.

In the decisive game, TTT Riga earned a convincing 81–53 victory.

Key contributors for TTT Riga included Santa Ozola, who scored 14 points, and Zane Straudovska, who added 12 points. Point guard Liva Hermanne also played an important role in controlling the tempo of the game and leading the offense.

This achievement represents a significant success for the TTT Riga junior program, as well as for the coaching staff.

Head coach Armands Misus and assistant coach Anita Mikala guided the team throughout the season and played a crucial role in their development and success.

We congratulate TTT Riga Juniors, the players, and the coaching staff on winning the bronze medals of the Latvian championship.

It is also worth noting that both Santa Ozola and Zane Straudovska are attracting strong interest from universities in the United States. At this stage, they are considering their next step — whether to join an NCAA program or continue their development in a junior college (JUCO) system.