Is this Serbian teenager a future star?

Jovana Popovic is one of the most talented and promising young players in Europe.

Despite being just 17 years old, Popovic averaged 10.3 points (59 percent from the field), 3.2 rebounds, 3.7 assists and 2.8 steals per game in the First Women’s Basketball League of Serbia. She can play as a point guard, shooting guard or wing, as she did this season for ZKK Mega MIS Beograd, which lost only one game in the regular season and won its first league championship this year.

When and how did you get into basketball, and how did you land in Mega MIS?

I started practicing basketball when I was nine. After swimming practice, I went to see one basketball practice and I liked it a lot, so I started practicing basketball. I came to Mega last year, when coach Milan Vidosavljevic called me. I wanted to take a step forward and to transfer to Mega.

Ten points, four assists, three rebounds and three steals per game. Those are great averages, let alone by a player who was just 16 years old. Were you always confident in that you would become the starter and have the season that you’ve had?

When I first came to Mega, I was aware that I needed to prove myself every day in order to gain the trust of my coaches and teammates.

What aspects of your game were you able to improve during your first year at Mega MIS? How did your game change throughout the season?

Practicing with the senior team and players that are older than me helped me a lot in my development. Thanks to them, I significantly improved my game in every aspect, both on individual and team level.

And what about your development outside of basketball? You’re the playmaker, playing with more experienced players, but you need to gain their trust if you want them to be okay with putting the ball in your hands. How were you able to built that trust and was there a moment during the season when you felt that the team had your back?

For trust, time is key. Hard work, relationships with teammates both on and off the court, respect, all these things are important in building trust. Team chemistry was great, all of my teammates were there to help me and give me helpful advice when I needed it.

I’m asking about the development because your team not only won the championship, but you were the Finals MVP! What can you tell us about the series, your mindset, your teammates and the emotion of raising that cup?

As I mentioned earlier, that trust we had, was key to my development, allowed me to grow and, of course, with their help I won the MVP award. As the MVP award is in some way individual, at the end of the day, it’s just result of great teamwork. That’s why I must say that I am very thankful that I had a chance to play with such great players and great people, because they made a transfer to a new club much, much easier. So I want to thank them all for that. The feeling when you lift the trophy is unmatched, with many feelings combined. You feel both joy, pride, responsibility and gratitude.

What are your plans for the Summer? Apart from the Olympics (fingers crossed), will you relax, catch up on some school stuff or work on your game?

My time off I will use to finish my school obligations. Then, I go to U18 Serbian camp, as we have European championships at the beginning of the August.

A special thank you to Goran Šanjević of BeoBasket for arranging the interview.