yahoo
The conversation with Yevheniia Putra was meant to center on basketball, but the 22-year-old Louisville sophomore found herself addressing matters far more significant. The 6-foot-3 center, originally from Kyiv, Ukraine, recently returned to the United States after a visit to her homeland, where she witnessed firsthand the changes brought by the ongoing war.
Putra described the arduous journey back to the US, highlighting the lack of direct flights and the extensive travel time. 'It's very hard,' she admitted. 'Last time, when I was in a rush from USA to come to Ukraine to play 3-on-3 with my friends in the Red Bull Half Court tournament, it took me 54 hours to get there. It was the longest trip of my life.'
Her route typically involves multiple legs: from Miami to New York, then a nine-hour flight to Malaga, Spain, where her mother resides, followed by a journey to Poland and finally a 16-18 hour bus ride to Kyiv. The border controls, especially when leaving Ukraine, add further complications, with buses sometimes waiting for hours at the Polish border.
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Putra also reflected on her unexpected path to Louisville. Initially, she had no desire to play in the US, often saying she didn't like the country. However, a video call with the coaching staff changed her mind. 'It was the first time I saw everyone, and everyone was trying to say something good about me... for me it was like, Wow, there's actually another side of basketball I can try,' she recounted. The interview was arranged with the help of Marco Florio of 13 Basketball Management.
Originally reported by yahoo.