By: Inbar Tene Orion

Hopkins (1.70, PG, 31), is no stranger to the off season in Israel. In her 9 years of Premier League experience dating back to the 2013/2014 season in Herzelia (Amit Helman GM), she has managed to rack up 3 Israeli cups with: Herzelia (2014/2015), Ramat Gan (2016/2017) and Ashdod (2017/2018), and a championship with Ashdod (2018/2019). Overall, she had been to 6 final fours, her cup finals record stands at 3:1, and her championship with Ashdod ended the dynasty of 5 consecutive titles. Hopkins earned league’s MVP in her 2017 Ramat Gan season and she has done it all from her natural point guard position.

After achieving and seeing everything there is so see in this league, Hopkins did not think there would be a challenge in returning to Israel for her 9th season. In the long term, she knew there aren’t many more season ahead of her and had wanted to experience something different. After her initial refusal to return, Hopkins played in Jordan and in Puerto Ricco but then, the phone rang and it was Haifa on the line (again), only this time, they needed a temporary sub for a player who was not yet available due to the WNBA championship. Hopkins signed a 3 week contract and now she is taking Maccabi Haifa, to the final 4 (with home court advantage). Hopkins shared what it is going to take to win with the team that has the least championship pedigree.

Israeli League

Hello to the most experienced player in the league (Nofar shalom and Noa Zelivanski excluded). How do you find the level of competition in the Israeli league throughout the years you’ve been playing here?
Chelsea: The level of competition in my 9 seasons has been good and solid. In the beginning however, the level was higher due to an entire generation of good domestic players that retired by now, for instance, Shay Doron, Naama Shafir, Katia Levitski… also, there were more high profile WNBA players which made the league stronger. Now we have new up and coming Israelis and WNBA players in their rookie/ second/3rd year, which in turn, changed team’s dynamics.

And from a managerial standpoint has anything changed?
Chelsea: There used to be greater marketing efforts in my earlier seasons. I especially recall the ones where the players were involved in and as a result, the turnout was a lot better. This season the games are streamed so that increases our audience outside of the gym. In general I’ve been fortunate to be on teams that paid wages in full (except for one time, they know who they are). Living conditions are good and except for the COVID season and I have always had access to do my strength and conditioning. I (and many other American players) feel that the season isn’t too short and it gives the league a competitive advantage over other leagues from our standpoint. We prefer to be paid less months and be home around the month of March.

Professionally, How do you find the notion that the foreigners balance each other out and in the end, the team with the better 4th’ 5th’ 6th (wo)man will win?
Chelsea: Fairly accurate from my experience. This is an American dominated league and the teams that thrive are the ones with the best “supporting cast”. First, a team needs the right combination of Americans, then you see Israelis do a lot of the “dirty work” that goes unnoticed and doesn’t show up on the stats sheet and their contribution is crucial.

What do you say to Americans that are scared to come play here?
Chelsea: I am one of the biggest advocates for coming to Israel. When Americans watch the news, they think Israel is a war zone, but after being here for almost a decade, I have so many good things to say about it. I have so many friends, its safe, your well taken care of, you’ll be able to go home if you need to. My family has been here and they love it too, Israel have welcomed me with open arms. If prices wouldn’t be so high and I wasn’t putting on so much mileage to go from Haifa to Tel Aviv, it would have been perfect.

Maccabi Haifa

You are one of the most experienced but not the oldest, what makes your teammate Bernice Mosby so effective at the age of 38?
Chelsea: Honestly, Bernice Mosby is nothing like I have ever seen. She’s extremely skilled and talented, plus she’s played everywhere and have done everything. When you have a player that has done it all and are not intimidated by anything, it gives the team confidence to face everyone. The way she takes care of her body to look a decade younger is also admirable. I can see her dominating at 45. A true pro, a true vet and even I, with all my experience, am learning from her.

When trying to improve the Israeli players, are you more like a mental coach on the floor?
Chelsea: I’m definitely both. I have a reputation here for acting like a crazy lady. I try to develop a relationship with them so when I am out of my mind yelling, they know it’s because I care. That’s how I take them under my wing – tough love.

What do you think sets Shahd Abboud apart whereas she established herself as legitimate scorer in this league?
Chelsea: Her work ethic and her mind set. She’s been injured the last 2 seasons, still, she shows up every day wanting to take part in every way possible. She is positive and involved even though she is physically unable to practice, she still works on her game, that means she cannot fail. That’s a true testament to how much she loves the game. She was our key contributor and is slowly working herself back in. She has the talent and the skill-set so if she stays healthy, the sky is the limit for her.

You have played for many coaches in this league, what’s different about Coach Omri Zirlin?
Chelsea: Coach is one of the reasons I decided to stay for the season. During those first 3 weeks we went 3-0, the team clicked and I have developed very quickly a great (probably the best) relationship with a coach in Omri. All together it felt like a real special opportunity that I can’t pass out. Our success is a lot because of Coach Zirlin and I don’t think people know how good he is. It starts with picking off the bat the right foreigners and “going with his gut”. I am happy he is shining this season and he deserves a lot of the credit.

Does the Haifa system fit you as a player (scrappy defensive team)? Were you always adjusting to different coaches or do you feel you have brought your best qualities to every team you’ve been on?
Chelsea: I’ve always prided myself into fitting everywhere as a natural PG. A dual threat with scoring rebounding and assists can benefit all teams. Haifa is a natural fit for me because I love to pressure the ball, run and buckle down on defense. But mostly, I can just be myself because Coach Omri does not limit me. I’m more than a player on this team I’m a partner. In other seasons, I’ve still has success because I do whatever it takes to win, to show for it, is how I feel out the stats sheet according to what’s needed in that particular game.

Break down the hardest things to stop about your final 4 opponents
Chelsea: Championship pedigree, my former coach Adan which I respect, Jewish Americans (Alex Cohen and Tal Sahar), Kelsey Bone is like my sister – a monster in this league.

Rishon – is a well-oiled machine and their system is formed from running and shooting. The coach (Ziv Erez) gives them the green light to jack 3’s and it’s working for them. Jenny Sims is my pick for the MVP of the league, everyone knows their role and complement each other so we need to score with them if we want to compete.

Ramle is another team with championship pedigree plus they have a lot of experienced Israelis – great supporting cast and great foreigners. They have the talent, good coach, their record doesn’t reflect how good they are going to be due to adversities still, they are here and they know how to win in big games.

Chelsea Hopkins GM

Hopkins shared her future aspiration to become the first black woman General Manager in the NBA as her post retirement goal. Born and raised in Las Vegas, where a lot of basketball takes place, it isn’t a bad place to start. Coming from a big family and had recently bought her own home there, she has many ties. Hopkins spends her time at home working on her game and on her networking. So I had to ask her some GM questions:

Were teams 9 seasons ago less/more susceptible to changing players, do you think that has proven to be effective?
Chelsea: In my experience, teams with more resources are more prone to switching out players, that’s just how competitive this league is. In my first year in Herzelia everyone got switched out except for me so I was anxious, especially since I did not have a guaranteed contract. It’s the team’s purgatory to switch. I’ve seen a lot of players come and go, not all of the switches were effective since bringing in a new player also takes the team back on their joint progression and chemistry.

How do you feel about the 1 month contract being exercised (courtesy of Covid) and made to last? Do you think an unfair advantage can occur here?
Chelsea: I am a fan of it. Not personally for myself but I feel it reduces the uncertainty on both parties when you a player can “test the waters” here and know her money is guaranteed for that month. On the team side, it prevents situations where a player with a guaranteed contract is getting cut/traded which causes a lot of bad energies for the team. With that being said, on the macro level, teams with more funds will utilize as much changed as they can and that will put the lower budget teams at a disadvantage. Professionally you can definitely call it an unfair advantage but life isn’t fair.

What’s the most important trait for a young player to possess?
Chelsea: The most important for any player is just to have a strong worth ethic. Basketball is hard, it’s cut-throat, you’re placed in uncomfortable situations, but no matter what you always have to work hard. Because there’s a million people that want to be in your shoes (especially as an American) and if you’re an Israeli being ok in the premier league does not mean that you made it.

What type of player in your opinion, fits the Israeli league the most?
Chelsea: Coaches and GMs need to choose players that fits their system best. So many times they just go with the “big names” automatically thinking she will have to do great here. It does not work like that. There’s a lot of talented players that never played in the WNBA but have killed in the Israeli league or overseas because it’s not about your resume. Professionally, taking the time to watch film, is enough to know if a player is the right fit for you. That’s why I respect coach Omri because he is a man of research: bringing in a Nigerian player that nobody knew about (Ujo Ugoka) who was player of the week in her first week in this league. Then, after an injury replaced with Krystal Vaughn’ a veteran player who has done exceptionally well. Omri went against the grain with 38 year old Bernice Mosby, that the market had already decided to retire, and now she is considered in the top 3 players in the league this season. So it’s about getting the right fit. Do your research and save a lot of money. I’ve seen teams sign big names and have very little success countless times.

Do you think Israel has a sports culture?
Chelsea: yes but it’s around men’s soccer and men’s basketball. Women’s basketball doesn’t receive nearly the publicity or even the coverage it deserves, so the feeling is that there is a place for it. In the states we are fighting the same battle. People need to invest and bet on women. There are little kids and girls that want to grow up playing professional sport and need to know there’s a place for them. So the culture is there it’s just about the marketing, growth, and showcasing those role models. Hopefully in my life time we will see our field getting the credit it deserves because there are very talented women out here.