Wikipedia

Helena Sverrisdóttir

This is an Icelandic name. The last name is patronymic, not a family name; this person is referred to by the given name Helena.

Helena Sverrisdóttir (born 11 March 1988) is an Icelandic former basketball player. Generally considered the greatest Icelandic female basketball player of all time,[1][2] she was named the Icelandic Women's Basketball Player of the Year 12 times.[3] During her playing career, she won the Icelandic championship five times and the Slovak championship two times.

Helena Sverrisdóttir
Personal information
Born (1988-03-11) 11 March 1988 (age 36)
Reykjavík, Iceland
Listed height184 cm (6 ft 0 in)
Career information
CollegeTCU (2007–2011)
Playing career2000–2023
PositionForward
Career history
As player:
2000–2007Haukar
2011–2013Good Angels Kosice
2013–2014Diósgyőri VTK
2014–2015CCC Polkowise
2015–2018Haukar
2017–2018→ Good Angels Kosice
2018Ceglédi EKK
2018–2021Valur
2021–2023Haukar
As coach:
2015–2016Haukar
2020–2021Valur (assistant)
Career highlights and awards
As player:

As coach:

Medals
Women's basketball
Representing  Iceland
Games of the Small States of Europe
Silver medal – second place 2005 Andorra Team
Silver medal – second place 2009 Cyprus Team
Silver medal – second place 2013 Luxembourg Team
Silver medal – second place 2015 Reykjavík Team
Silver medal – second place 2017 San Marino Team
Silver medal – second place 2019 Bar Team

Helena played college basketball for TCU where she was named the Mountain West Conference Player of the Year in 2010.

She played for the Iceland women's national basketball team for 21 years, becoming its all-time leader in games played in 2023.

Early life

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Helena was born in Reykjavík, Iceland, but grew up in Hafnarfjörður.[4] She played both basketball and football in her youth.[5]

Playing career

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Helena first played for Haukar's senior team in 2000, at the age of 12.[5][6] After winning Division I in 2002 with Haukar, Helena took the Úrvalsdeild by storm in 2002-2003,[7] averaging 17.1 points, 9.5 rebounds and 4.3 assists. She was named the Úrvalsdeild Young Player of the Year and was widely regarded as the top prospect in the country. Despite her performance, Haukar finished last in the league and were relegated back to Division I.[8]

In 2003-2004, at the age of 16, Helena averaged a quadruple-double in the Icelandic Division I with 37.6 points, 13.3 rebounds, 11.6 assists and 10.2 steals.[9] Out of the 16 games she played, she posted a quadruple-double in six of them. Her best scoring output came against Ármann/Þróttur where she scored 86 points.[10][8]

She played college basketball for TCU from 2007 to 2011.[11][12] In October 2024, she was inducted into the schools athletics Hall of Fame.[13]

Helena returned to Haukar in 2016 after 9 seasons away[14] and helped the club achieve the best regular season record in the Úrvalsdeild kvenna. For the season she averaged 24.4 points, 13.3 rebounds and 6.8 assists, and was named the Úrvalsdeild Domestic Player of the Year.[15] Helena missed most of the 2016-2017 season due to being pregnant of her first child.[16][17] She returned to the floor on March 19 in a loss against Stjarnan, five weeks after the birth of her daughter.[18][19][20]

On December 20, 2017, Haukar loaned Helena to Good Angels Kosice until the end of January 2018.[21] On January 21, Helena helped the Good Angels win the Slovak Basketball Cup.[22][23]

On April 30, 2018, she helped Haukar to win the national championship, their fourth championship and first one in nine years.[24] Helena was named the Úrvalsdeild Playoffs MVP[25] after averaging 20.2 points, 12.2 rebounds and 10.8 assists in the finals series.[26] On May 4, Helena was named the Úrvalsdeild Domestic Player of the Year and to the Úrvalsdeild Domestic All-First Team.[27]

On 16 May 2018, Helena signed with Ceglédi EKK of the Hungarian Nemzeti Bajnokság I/A.[28] In November she left the club after a contract dispute.[29][30][31]

On 15 November 2018, Helena signed with Úrvalsdeild kvenna club Valur.[32] On 16 February 2019, she won the Icelandic Cup after Valur defeated Stjarnan in the Cup finals, 74-90. In the game, Helena had 31 points, 13 rebounds and 6 assists.[33] On 27 April 2019, she helped Valur win its first ever national championship after beating Keflavík in the Úrvalsdeild finals 3-0.[34] After the season she was named the Úrvalsdeild Domestic Player of the Year for the second straight year and to the Úrvalsdeild Domestic All-First Team.[35]

Valur opened the 2019–20 season by defeating Keflavík, 105-81, in the annual Icelandic Super Cup where Helena posted 14 points, 13 rebounds and 7 assists.[36] It was Valur's first Super Cup win and the victory made them the holders of all four major national crowns, the others being the national championship, the national cup and the league championship which is awarded for the best regular season record in the Úrvalsdeild.[37]

In December 2019, she was named the Icelandic Women's Basketball Player of the Year for the 12th time in her career.[38]

On 29 May 2020, Helena announced that she was pregnant with her second child.[39]

On 2 June 2021, she won the national championship after Valur beat Haukar 3–0 in the Úrvalsdeild finals and was named the Playoffs MVP.[40] After the season, she was named to the Úrvalsdeild Domestic All-First Team.[41]

On 19 June 2021, Helena signed back with her hometown team of Haukar.[42][43] On 18 September 2021, she led Haukar to victory in the Icelandic Cup and was named the Cup Finals MVP after turning in 26 points, 9 rebounds and 9 assists[44] in the 94–89 win against Fjölnir in the Cup finals.[45] On 30 September, she scored 32 points in the second leg of the 2021–22 EuroCup Women Qualifiers matches against Clube União Sportiva, leading Haukar to an aggregate win of 160-157 and a seat in the EuroCup regular season.[46] On 19 March 2022, she won the Icelandic Cup again after Haukar defeated Breiðablik in the 2022 Cup Finals.[47]

On 20 September 2023, still battling with injuries, Helena was an unused substitute in Haukar's 78-77 win against Valur in the Icelandic Super Cup.[48] On 19 November 2023, she announced her retirement from playing due to a knee injury.[1]

TCU statistics

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Source[49]

Ratios
YEAR Team GP FG% 3P% FT% RBG APG BPG SPG PPG
2007-08 TCU 35 43.0% 30.7% 68.1% 5.71 2.49 0.40 1.23 9.34
2008-09 TCU 31 43.8% 37.6% 81.2% 7.39 4.81 0.42 1.71 15.84
2009-10 TCU 31 42.3% 33.0% 79.1% 6.68 5.19 0.61 2.19 13.65
2010-11 TCU 33 44.5% 37.6% 79.9% 5.76 4.52 0.55 1.91 15.70
Career 130 43.5% 35.0% 78.3% 6.35 4.20 0.49 1.75 13.53
Totals
YEAR Team GP FG FGA 3P 3PA FT FTA REB A BK ST PTS
2007-08 TCU 35 117 272 31 101 62 91 200 87 14 43 327
2008-09 TCU 31 153 349 38 101 147 181 229 149 13 53 491
2009-10 TCU 31 134 317 38 115 117 148 207 161 19 68 423
2010-11 TCU 33 158 355 59 157 143 179 190 149 18 63 518
Career 130 562 1293 166 474 469 599 826 546 64 227 1759

Icelandic national team

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Helena is the Icelandic women's national basketball team's allt team leader in games played, playing 81 games from 2002 to 2023.[50][2]

Personal life

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Helena's sister, Guðbjörg Sverrisdóttir, plays for Valur in Úrvalsdeild kvenna and was named to the 2016 Úrvalsdeild Domestic All-First Team. She has also played for the Icelandic national team since 2014.[51][50] Her brother, Kristján Leifur Sverrisson, played for Haukar in Úrvalsdeild karla.[52][53]

Helena is married to former Icelandic national team player Finnur Atli Magnússon[5][54] with whom she has one daughter.[55]

Awards, titles and accomplishments

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Individual awards

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Titles

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Iceland

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Slovenia

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  • Slovak champion (2): 2012, 2013
  • Slovak Basketball Cup (3): 2012, 2013, 2018

Accomplishments

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References

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  1. ^ a b Smári Jökull Jónsson (19 November 2023). "Helena leggur skóna á hilluna". Vísir.is (in Icelandic). Retrieved 19 November 2023.
  2. ^ a b "Sú besta hætt eftir 30 ár í körfubolta". Morgunblaðið (in Icelandic). 19 November 2023. Retrieved 19 November 2023.
  3. ^ "Körfuknattleiksfólk ársins 2016 · Gunnhildur og Martin". Archived from the original on 2018-07-19. Retrieved 2017-05-27.
  4. ^ "Helena Sverrisdóttir - Yngsti leikmaðurinn valinn í A-landsliðið". Tímarit Morgunblaðsins (in Icelandic). Morgunblaðið. 28 December 2003. p. 6. Retrieved 19 November 2023 – via Tímarit.is. 
  5. ^ a b c Svanur Már Snorrason; Davíð Eldur (11 January 2021). "Helena Sverrisdóttir: "Tólf ára ætlaði ég að verða best á Íslandi"". Karfan.is (in Icelandic). Retrieved 11 January 2021.
  6. ^ "2. deild kvenna - Haukar" (in Icelandic). Icelandic Basketball Association. Retrieved 11 January 2021.
  7. ^ Óskar Ófeigur Jónsson (3 December 2002). "Sú fjórtán ára er fremst allra". Dagblaðið Vísir (in Icelandic). p. 27. Retrieved 12 May 2020 – via Tímarit.is.  
  8. ^ a b "Fjórföld tvenna að meðaltali". Dagblaðið Vísir (in Icelandic). 3 April 2004. Retrieved 11 August 2017 – via Tímarit.is.  
  9. ^ Tölfræði - Haukar
  10. ^ "Helena skoraði 86 stig í stórsigri Haukaliðsins". Mbl.is (in Icelandic). Morgunblaðið. 22 March 2004. Retrieved 11 August 2017 – via Tímarit.is.  
  11. ^ Mac Engel (16 January 2010). "Helena is cool as ice". Fort Worth Star-Telegram. pp. 1D, 3D. Retrieved 10 April 2022 – via Newspapers.com.  
  12. ^ Stefan Stevenson (19 January 2011). "'Ice' warms up to Texas, language, TCU hoops". Fort Worth Star-Telegram. pp. 1D, 7D. Retrieved 10 April 2022 – via Newspapers.com.  
  13. ^ Ingvi Þór Sæmundsson (5 October 2024). "Helena tekin inn í heiðurshöll TCU". Vísir.is (in Icelandic). Retrieved 5 October 2024.
  14. ^ Jónsson, Starri Freyr (13 May 2016). "Nýr kafli að hefjast hjá Helenu". Vísir.is (in Icelandic). Retrieved 11 August 2017.
  15. ^ Þórðarson, Tómas Þór (6 May 2016). "Helena: Þarf hjálp við að fá systur mína yfir". Vísir.is (in Icelandic). Retrieved 11 August 2017.
  16. ^ Sæmundsson, Ingvi Þór (26 July 2016). "Helena missir af næsta tímabili". Vísir.is (in Icelandic). Retrieved 11 August 2017.
  17. ^ Grétarsson, Benedikt (26 July 2016). "Helena ekki með Haukum í vetur". Mbl.is (in Icelandic). Morgunblaðið. Retrieved 11 August 2017.
  18. ^ "Helena spilar fimm vikum eftir fæðingu". Mbl.is (in Icelandic). Morgunblaðið. 19 March 2017. Retrieved 11 August 2017.
  19. ^ "Helena sneri aftur en Stjarnan fagnaði sigri". Mbl.is (in Icelandic). Morgunblaðið. 19 March 2017. Retrieved 11 August 2017.
  20. ^ Sverrisson, Sindri (21 March 2017). ""Mun hressari en ég hafði ímyndað mér"". Mbl.is (in Icelandic). Morgunblaðið. Retrieved 11 August 2017.
  21. ^ "Helena á leiðinni aftur til Slóvakíu". Morgunblaðið (in Icelandic). 20 December 2017. Retrieved 20 December 2017.
  22. ^ "Pohár sa vracia do Košíc". goodangelskosice.eu (in Slovak). 21 January 2018. Retrieved 21 January 2018.
  23. ^ Benedikt Bóas (23 January 2018). "Stal bikartitlinum í Slóvakíu: Þetta var svo dramatískt". Vísir.is (in Icelandic). Retrieved 23 January 2018.
  24. ^ Jóhann Ingi Hafþórsson (30 April 2018). "Haukar Íslandsmeistarar í fjórða skipti". Morgunblaðið (in Icelandic). Retrieved 30 April 2018.
  25. ^ Böðvar Sigurbjörnsson (30 April 2018). "Helena best í úrslitakeppninni: "Man ekki eftir að hef séð hana svona góða"". Vísir.is (in Icelandic). Retrieved 30 April 2018.
  26. ^ Ingvi Þór Sæmundsson (30 April 2018). "Helena með þrefalda tvennu að meðaltali í úrslitunum". Fréttablaðið (in Icelandic). Retrieved 1 May 2018.
  27. ^ Henry Birgir Gunnarsson (4 May 2018). "Kristófer og Helena valin leikmenn ársins". Vísir.is (in Icelandic). Retrieved 4 May 2018.
  28. ^ Einar Örn Jónsson (16 May 2018). "Helena til Ungverjalands". RÚV (in Icelandic). Retrieved 16 May 2018.
  29. ^ Ástrós Ýr Eggertsdóttir (13 November 2018). "Helena og Finnur á leiðinni heim". Vísir.is (in Icelandic). Retrieved 13 November 2018.
  30. ^ Ólafur Þór Jónsson (13 November 2018). "Helena laus frá Cegléd – Á leið heim?". Karfan.is (in Icelandic). Retrieved 13 November 2018.
  31. ^ Kristján Jónsson (13 November 2018). "Helena á heimleið". Morgunblaðið (in Icelandic). Retrieved 13 November 2018.
  32. ^ Davíð Eldur (15 November 2018). "Helena Sverrisdóttir í Val". Karfan.is (in Icelandic). Retrieved 15 November 2018.
  33. ^ "Valur bikarmeistari í fyrsta sinn". RÚV (in Icelandic). 16 February 2019. Retrieved 16 February 2019.
  34. ^ Valur Páll Eiríksson (27 April 2019). "Valskonur Íslandsmeistarar í fyrsta sinn". RÚV (in Icelandic). Retrieved 27 April 2019.
  35. ^ Óskar Ófeigur Jónsson (11 May 2019). "Helena og Kristófer valin best annað tímabilið í röð". Vísir.is (in Icelandic). Retrieved 10 May 2019.
  36. ^ Anton Ingi Leifsson (29 September 2019). "Vandræðalaust hjá Val gegn Keflavík í Meistarakeppni KKÍ". Vísir.is (in Icelandic). Retrieved 30 September 2019.
  37. ^ "Valur bætti fjórða bikarnum í safnið". Morgunblaðið (in Icelandic). 29 September 2019. Retrieved 30 September 2019.
  38. ^ "Körfuknattleiksfólk ársins 2019 - Helena og Martin". Icelandic Basketball Federation (in Icelandic). 13 December 2019. Retrieved 13 December 2019.
  39. ^ Davíð Eldur (30 May 2020). "Helena Sverrisdóttir með barni". Karfan.is (in Icelandic). Retrieved 30 May 2020.
  40. ^ Sæbjörn Þór Þórbergsson Steinke (2 June 2021). "Umfjöllun og viðtöl: Valur - Haukar 74-65 - Sópurinn á lofti og Valur Íslandsmeistari". Vísir.is (in Icelandic). Retrieved 3 June 2021.
  41. ^ Davíð Eldur (29 June 2021). "Allir verðlaunahafar í úrvalsdeild kvenna – Sara Rún leikmaður ársins". Karfan.is (in Icelandic). Retrieved 29 June 2021.
  42. ^ "Helena heim í heiðardalinn". Morgunblaðið (in Icelandic). 19 June 2021. Retrieved 19 June 2021.
  43. ^ Jóhann Ingi Hafþórsson (29 June 2021). "Aldrei tekið eins erfiða ákvörðun". Morgunblaðið (in Icelandic). Retrieved 29 June 2021.
  44. ^ "Helena valin leikmaður úrslitaleiksins". Morgunblaðið (in Icelandic). 18 September 2021. Retrieved 19 September 2021.
  45. ^ Sæbjörn Þór Þórbergsson Steinke (18 September 2021). "Umfjöllun, viðtöl og myndir: Fjölnir - Haukar 89-94 - Haukar bikarmeistari í sjöunda sinn eftir hörkuleik". Vísir.is (in Icelandic). Retrieved 19 September 2021.
  46. ^ Ingvi Þór Sæmundsson (2 October 2021). "Ótrúlega stórt og frábært skref fyrir kvennakörfuna". Vísir.is (in Icelandic). Retrieved 2 October 2021.
  47. ^ Árni Jóhannsson (19 March 2022). "Leik lokið: Haukar - Breiðablik 88-81 - Haukar bikarmeistarar 2022". Vísir.is (in Icelandic). Retrieved 19 March 2022.
  48. ^ Sæbjörn Þór S. Steinke (20 September 2023). "Umfjöllun og viðtal: Valur - Haukar 77-78 | Haukakonur meistarar meistaranna eftir flautukörfu". Vísir.is (in Icelandic). Retrieved 21 September 2023.
  49. ^ "NCAA Statistics". web1.ncaa.org. Retrieved 2021-06-24.
  50. ^ a b "KKÍ | A landslið". kki.is. Retrieved 2017-12-02.
  51. ^ Jónsson, Óskar Ófeigur (19 November 2015). "Fjórar systur á leið með landsliðinu til Ungverjalands". Vísir.is (in Icelandic). Retrieved 11 August 2017.
  52. ^ "Frændsystkinin Kristján Leifur og Sólrún Inga í landsliðshópum 15 ára og yngri". haukar.is (in Icelandic). p. 1 February 2011. Retrieved 11 August 2017.
  53. ^ "Ívar áfram og blásið til sóknar". Mbl.is (in Icelandic). Morgunblaðið. 3 April 2017. Retrieved 11 August 2017.
  54. ^ "Finnur Atli og Helena trúlofuð". Morgunblaðið (in Icelandic). 4 May 2015. Retrieved 16 December 2018.
  55. ^ "Helena spilar fimm vikum eftir fæðingu". Morgunblaðið (in Icelandic). 19 March 2017. Retrieved 16 December 2018.
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