THE Ballarat Miners have announced their first import since 2019 with the recruitment of Swedish forward Emma Karamovic to the club's roster.
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The 26-year-old, born in Boras Sweden, arrived in Ballarat late Friday night after a long flight and is expected to meet her teammates this weekend at the Ballarat Senior Basketball Tournament where the Miners women will play two matches, with the men gearing up for four in the space of two days.
Karamovic played college basketball for Tampa University and Southeastern University in Florida before playing professionally in Europe.
While playing for Ausarta Barakaldo in Spain, Karamovic averaged 13.3 points and 4.5 rebounds a game for the season.
Speaking before she arrived in Australia, Karamovic said she was excited to help the Miners return to the play-off race.
"This is my first time coming to Australia, I was looking for a team with great culture and a coach that believes in me and the team and that is why I signed with the Miners," she said.
"I want to set up goals with the team and try our best to reach them but also explore the area and integrate into the community."
Karamovic is the first import since 2019 on the women's roster when the Ballarat Rush had Joy Burke, Chanise Jenkins and Olivia Hackman take to the court.
Miners Women's head coach Rob Baker said Karamovic had the experience and skill to be an integral part of the team.
"She will be a great fit for us on the court with her international experience and her ability to play multiple positions on the floor," he said.
"Emma has the ability to play inside with her physicality and strength and stretch the floor from outside with her shooting range."
The Miners will ramp up their preparations for the new NBL1 season when they take to the home courts at Selkirk Stadium for a series of practice matches this weekend.
The women will play two matches, Saturday morning followed by Sunday afternoon, while the men will play four games across the weekend, two on Saturday and two on Sunday, beginning with a clash with fellow NBL1 South club Keilor.
While the men's roster is locked in, Karamovic's signing is just the sixth player confirmed for the women's team.
The club says there will be many more announcements to be made in the lead-up to the opening game of the season against the Melbourne Tigers at home on April 1.
