Dorka Juhász, who lives in the United States and is considered the greatest talent in Hungarian women’s basketball, gave a long and very interesting interview with the Internet portal Wbasket.hu. Juhasz, who studies and plays basketball at UConn, will soon knock on the door of the WNBA, while he may also be one of the strengths of the Hungarian national team. Iniko Kotor, who previously played basketball, won the Hungarian Championship with Sopron and was a member of the Hungarian team that took the bronze medal at the 2014 FIFA U-17 Women’s World Championships.
Dorka Juhász’s mother, Balázs Hajnalka, was the powerhouse and main player of the PVSK team led by László Rátgéber at the time. So the apple did not fall far from the tree. Durka Johasz spoke with great affection about her mother, who spends many nights in front of the computer watching her daughter’s American college games.
“My mother, Balázs Hajnalka, a former PVSK player, was a basketball player, so understandably I was too. I was never happy with my performance. By the way, he still watches my match at night to this day, even if it’s two o’clock at night in Hungarian time. Then we always talk about what he’s thinking and how I’m feeling. I think the key to development is not to be completely satisfied with yourself,” Durka Johasz told Wbasket.hu.
The Hungarian girl plays basketball at UConn, which was coached by world-famous Geno Auriemma. The Italian-born, 67-year-old coach led the US national team from 2009 to 2016, becoming World Champion in 2010 and 2014, and Olympic Champion in 2012 and 2016. As a UConn coach, she later emerged from her own hands as some franchises as Sue Bird, Diana Taurasi, Tina Charles, Maya Moore, or Breanna Stewart. Dorka Juhász spoke about her and UConn: “She (Coach, Geno Auriemma – Editor) said they depend on me a lot and that I could be the missing link the team needs and help prepare for a career. It was enough for me to hear it, and after that I didn’t even think how many minutes I would play. It floated before my eyes how much better I would have been.”
Dorka Juhász’s big dream is to have one of the WNBA teams draft and play in the US Women’s League. “Based on indications, I had a very good season last year, however I felt like I had more of it. I could have gone pro or even try WNBA, but I thought I still lacked the good training I’m getting now at UCon where I can continue to improve for a better chance in the WNBA draft. Of course, my goal is still to be a WNBA player, but the difference is that the number one NBA program is now on my resume, which may be an advantage for me.”
Of course, the article also mentioned that Juhasz could soon become a member of the Hungarian national team. “I have spoken to Fed captain Norbert Sekele several times in recent years and he has assured me that he is counting on me in the national team. The Federal Captain is aware of my situation, he knows that it is not easy for me to go home due to the obligations here. Around May my season ended early, so I was able to relax a bit and then joined the national team at Sixfervar. It also turned out at the time that I was going to continue my career in UConn colors, but since they only had 5-6 weeks of prep for summer, that didn’t stop me from doing it. I had a great time in training camp, not to mention that this officially started my integration into the women’s national team. This is a special kudos to me, because it allows me to follow in my mother’s footsteps. I hope to be able to play in the Hungarian jersey in the European Championship in two years.”
full interview You can read it here.
