News

Trine Kasemägi: When I have my mindset on something, I`m gonna do it!

21.03.2014
Trine Kasemägi: January 2014 MVP

"I think our new experience will help us because we have faced many good opponents," Audentes center Trine Kasemägi always try to get the best out of the good experiences in life.

 

Kasemägi finished the regular season collecting more double-doubles (10) than any other Nordea league player, leaving behind SK "Cēsis" center Aija Brumermane (9) and Tallinn University forward Kerttu Jallai (9).

 

Last weekend she proved it again, shooting 23 points in back-to-back games against TTT Rīga and RSU/Merks. Kasemägi averages 17,3 points and 10,1 rebounds per game.

 

I think it was overall a pretty good game for Audentes.

It was a really good game in the beginning. The second half didn`t went so well as TTT Riga got fired up and it was hard to play against them. TTT Riga is a really strong team. They are professionals, we are just students. At the same time we play hard, despite the different levels.

 

TTT use a lot of half court press and full court press. Is it difficult to cope with?

Yes, it is. In Estonia no team press so much. When we come here, it`s a challenge for us.

 

Audentes took a lot of wins in the beginning. Now you play against strong teams only.

It`s kind of difficult but at the same time these games teach us how to play against stronger teams. For example we will play against Vega 1/Liepāja in the play-offs. I think our new experience will help us because we have faced many good opponents. We haven`t won any games but we have gained valuable experience.

 

It seems you are not disappointed with the outcome so far.

Not at all. It`s good for us to play in the “Top 6” tournament.

 

Maybe it`s better to play and lose in the upper group.

These games can teach us a lot. When you win you don`t learn that much. When you lose you get to know your weakest parts and it helps us to get better.

 

Coach shares the same philosophy?

He knows that we are the youngest team in the "Top 6" tournament so he doesn`t force us to win all games.

 

How is your daily schedule?

In the morning I wake up. Then I go to the morning practice at 08:30 am. Practice is about two hours long. Then I go to the school where I have six or seven lessons. And then I practice again, usually from 5 pm. In the end of the day I have to study for the next day.

 

What do you plan to do after the high school?

I plan to go to the USA to play college basketball.

 

Last September you went to the FIBA 3x3 World Championship in Indonesia and won the silver medal.

It was amazing experience. Season began a few weeks after and that`s why we played so good in the first half of it. It was amazing. You can`t talk about it...

 

You have to experience it! Have you played in the 3x3 tournaments before?

We went to the FIBA 3x3 World Championship in Spain in 2012. Two of us have played in Indonesia as well. We made the quarterfinals in Spain.

 

And you qualified for the 2014 Youth Olympics in Nanjing, China.

I can`t go there because I`m too old. There is an age limit for players born in 1996 and later so some other players will go there.

 

Do you have a role model in basketball or life?

I am the person who always wants to go her own way. When I have my mindset on something I`m gonna do it.

 

What do you like about basketball?

I really like winning but at the same time it`s a team sport. Team work, bus trips, everything related – it forms a lot of good memories and also funny things.

 

How about long trips and your legs?

Sometimes it`s hard but usually we travel with the big bus so I have enough space for my legs.

 

Who is your first coach?

Marek Koitla.