Anete Jekabsone-Zogota, who started 14 games and averaged 7.2 points per contest for the Connecticut Sun during the 2010 season, said in an interview that she is planning to skip the upcoming WNBA season.

I just got off the phone with Connecticut Sun coach Mike Thibault who said that "nothing is official yet" and that been in contact with Jekabsone-Zogota's agent but wanted to reserve further comment until the final decision has been made.

While the translation of the interview to English is a little choppy, it does seem as if the 27-year-old Jekabsone-Zogota isn't planning to return to the WNBA any time soon.

"It is a very valuable experience, there is a very good level of basketball," Jekabsone-Zogota said. "(They have) strong players, qualified coaches, a very good organization. It requires great strength (to play). It's all determined by my 'inner voice'. This time (it) is a feeling, after a year or two probably will be slightly different. Certainly not (going to) say (never).

"It is an honor to play there, no doubt," Jekabsone-Zogota said. "It is a new experience. Yes, the first year I've had times when I wanted to throw everything aside and go home."

Jekabsone-Zogota appeared in 46 games over the previous two seasons for the Sun, averaging 8.7 points per game.

The Sun just announced the signings of Tan White and Kerri Gardin and will be adding Danielle McCray, who was the second of the team's two first-round draft picks a year ago. McCray missed the entire 2010 WNBA season with a knee injury. McCray has been playing well with Hapoel Rishon Le-Zion in Israel as she has scored at least 20 points in each of her last three games. She will not be the 3-point threat that Jekabsone-Zogota was but has shown the ability to get to the free throw line during her time in Israel. Playing for Rishon Lezion, McCray is averaging 17.2 points, 7.9 rebounds, 3 assists and 1.8 steals.

Thibault said it will be a wait and see approach with the other three Europeans whose rights are owned by the Sun as Sandrine Gruda, Alba Torrens and Johannah Leedham are expected to play for France, Spain and Great Britain respectively in the European Championships or EuroCup which will run from June 18-July 3 which would mean a mininum of nine Connecticut Sun games being missed if the three come over after the tournament is over. Gruda has played for the Sun in each of the last three seasons and is the most likely of the trio to come over. It would be a crushing blow if Gruda opted to stay in France after the conclusion of the EuroCup. However, the Sun have been patient in the past letting Gruda come over when her European playing commitments are complete and would be very surprised if Gruda simply skipped the entire WNBA season.

When I asked Thibault if the Sun would be more likely to pursue a free agent if the team got the sense that the other Europeans would be staying home, he said that he did not expect that to happen. Reading between the lines, I get the sense that there is a free agent the Sun is keeping on its radar but it won't be as easy to figure out who that is as it was when the team went hard after Kara Lawson a year ago. Considering that Thibault, assistant coach Scott Hawk and general manager Chris Sienko were all at the recent UConn/Duke game (scouting Jasmine Thomas I would imagine) I would think that it is more likely that the Sun would try to put together a package to move up into the first round in April's WNBA draft than it would be to add a free agent from another team.