The Seattle Storm signs Svetlana Abrosimova

Svetlana Abrosimova, a former Connecticut star and member of the Seattle Storm’s 2010 championship team did not get picked by her home country to play in the 2012 Olympics but will play this summer in the WNBA. The Storm signed the 6-2 forward as a free agent the team announced today. She is expected to play in the Storm’s next game Saturday against New York at the Prudential Center in New Jersey.

The Storm roster now stands at 11 players including Australian National Team member Lauren Jackson, who will rejoin the team after the London Olympic Games. The team waived injured Victoria Dunlap earlier this week.

“Svetlana obviously has got experience with our team,” said head coach and general manager Brian Agler. “She was part of our championship team in 2010 – played a really big role on that team. She’s an aggressive defensive player; she’s a risk-taker. I don’t think that’s so bad for our team right now. I think she gives us length on the perimeter. She gives us another ballhandler in the pick-and-roll. I think she’ll do well with the people we have on our team.”

Abrosimova returns to the league and the Storm after spending the last two seasons with UMMC Ekaterinburg in the Russian Premier League. She played alongside Seattle point guard Sue Bird during the 2011-12 campaign.

Overall, Abrosimova played nine seasons in the WNBA with stints at Minnesota, Connecticut and the Storm in 2010. She played in all of the Storm’s regular season contests and all seven of the team’s postseason games. She averaged 7.6 points and 3.2 rebounds per game that season.

She was the No. 7 overall pick of the 2001 WNBA Draft. She spent three years alongside Bird and former Storm player Chicago Sky forward Swin Cash in college and helped UConn win the 2000 NCAA Championship.