GRUDA Sandrine

General
WNBA EXPERIENCE
She was drafted in the first round, 13th overall pick, of the 2007 WNBA Draft by the Connecticut Sun. She played with the Sun from 2008 to 2010, and was also part of the Los Angeles Sparks team that won the WNBA title in 2016. "I have always been fan of the WNBA, and always wanted to play here. I'm really happy. It's really the most competitive league of them all, besides international competitions like the Olympic Games. I was not used that much [in the 2016 title-winning season] but it was the coach's choice. I respect his choice and I accept what is positive, and the positive thing is this championship." (basketball-reference.com, 2017; lepoint.fr, 25 Oct 2016)

ORIGINS
Born in Cannes, France, she grew up in Martinique where she took up the sport. She returned to continental France at age 15 to join a national youth training hub in Toulouse. (sandrinegruda.fr, 21 Apr 2020; womensports.fr, 29 Jun 2017)

She is the first French athlete to have won the WNBA title. She was part of the Los Angeles Sparks team that claimed the title in 2016. (sandrinegruda.fr, 21 Apr 2020; lepoint.fr, 25 Oct 2016)