Skip to main content

WNBA’s Zellous takes Turkish team to arbitration

By WTOP Staff

DOUG FEINBERG
AP Basketball Writer

Indiana Fever guard Shavonte Zellous just wants to play basketball overseas — and be paid for her efforts.

After one of the most successful seasons in her career, leading Turkish power Galatasary to championships in both the domestic league and Euroleague, Zellous is now embroiled in a salary dispute.

Zellous said the club’s former president promised the players their bonuses would be doubled after Galatasary beat rival Fenerbahce. They’re still waiting for their money.

The 28-year-old guard and her representatives have filed a grievance with the international basketball federation and the case will be decided by an arbitrator assigned by FIBA.

Zellous said she is owed more than $100,000 — about the same as her WNBA salary — and hopes to have a decision by the end of the year.

The situation has gotten sticky.

Zellous refused to go back to the team this winter until she got what she was owed in bonuses. The Turkish club terminated her $315,000 annual contract in late September.

“In the WNBA you get paid every two weeks, there it’s once a month,” Zellous said. “I finished playing with them in May and here we are and I still haven’t been paid.”

As of Friday, none of the players from last year’s team, including Connecticut Sun forward Kelsey Bone, had been paid their bonuses yet.

The club had a recent change in its front office with team president Ünal Aysal stepping down effective Oct. 25 and being replaced by Duygun Yarsuvat.

Galatasary general manager Murat Ozyer said in a phone interview that in his opinion Zellous had been paid the money she was owed. The team started fining her when she didn’t show up to play.

“She refused to come because she said she didn’t get her bonuses,” Ozyer said. “She doesn’t want to come. We explained to her that after three weeks when she didn’t show up we’d cut her.”

The back-and-forth has left Zellous in limbo, working out in Indiana and waiting for a resolution.

Despite being cut, she can’t play for another team unless she’s granted a FIBA letter of clearance by Galatasary and the club is paid a transfer fee.

“It’s frustrating because you have to wait for this process to go through,” said Zellous, who averaged 16.3 points last season for Gala.

“I’ve been playing since I was a kid and just want to continue doing what I do. I work out five times a week and try and stay court ready. I do the same things if I was playing, just there are no games. When I get the opportunity I’ll be ready,” she said.

Zellous was looking forward to going back to the team and defending the championships.

“I love the team, the head coach there, have nothing but nice things to say about the coach,” said Zellous, who played collegiately at Pittsburgh. “I learned a lot playing with them last year. They are having money problems and that’s the frustrating thing.”

Though she did not go into details about what financial issues the club is having, she said if the situation can be resolved she would return.

“I think I would go back over there,” Zellous said. “I love Istanbul, it’s a great city. I love the coach, love the team we have. Everything was good. That’s why it’s sad.”

___

Follow Doug on Twitter at http://www.twitter.com/dougfeinberg

Copyright 2014 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.

Don’t Settle for Student Loans to Pay for Online Education

By WTOP Staff
Online college programs are becoming a more popular choice for prospective students, with one study finding that more than 6 million students enrolled in at least one online course in fall 2015. The popularity of these courses can be attributed in part to their flexibility with working adults' schedules, students' ability to progress more quickly through online programs and, oftentimes, cheaper tuition. [See 10 low-cost online bachelor's programs for out-of-state students.]Online degrees can be beneficial to many college students, but some studies have shown online learners complete their programs at lower rates than students at traditional brick-and-mortar campuses. Individuals with student loans but no degree comprise two-thirds of defaulted borrowers. Though these numbers are not encouraging, just like for traditional programs, there are ways to reduce how much you'll need to borrow for an online program to ensure you won't become one of these statistics. Don't just settle on borrowing student loans to cover the whole cost of your program and living expenses. Instead, start thinking about how to cut costs and cover your balance in different ways, such as the following. -- Grants and scholarships: Even though you are taking an online course, you can still apply and receive grants and scholarships. But your first step should be to complete the Free Application for Federal Student Aid, commonly referred to as the FAFSA, which will allow you to receive a Pell Grant if your expected family contribution is low enough. The EFC criteria and award amounts are adjusted annually, but the 2017-2018 academic year awards range from $606 to $5,920, which could significantly lower the amount you borrow annually. Your next step is to apply for scholarships. You can start by checking online scholarship search engines, such as the Salt Scholarship Search, College Board's BigFuture and Peterson's. But don't forget to take advantage of local organizations and your school's financial aid office. Both may offer scholarships that you can't find with a national scholarship search. [Review these 10 sites to kick off your scholarship search.]For instance, organizations like the Elks Club, Knights of Columbus or the Rotary Club typically offer scholarships annually to local students. Just because you're going to school online doesn't mean you're ineligible. Visit your local library for scholarship listings, and ask around town. You might be surprised how many local organizations offer scholarships. While these scholarships typically aren't large, every little bit counts. Each dollar you receive in a scholarship is a dollar you don't have to borrow and pay interest on. -- Work-study: Another option for online students may be work-study awards. Not all students enrolled in online programs are eligible, but students at some schools -- including, for example, SUNY Empire State College and Liberty University -- are. Work-study awards are not given upfront like scholarships and grants. In most cases, they are an offer to earn up to the awarded amount if you secure an eligible work-study job. While there is a misconception that all work-study jobs must be on campus, students can work for off-campus, nonprofit or public employers as long as the work is in the public's interest. You may be able to work for a for-profit employer if the job is relevant to your course of study. No matter who the outside employer is, it will need to have an established agreement with your college for you to receive work-study funds. Remember, to be eligible for federal financial aid, you must be enrolled and pursuing a degree or certificate. If you're not working toward a credential, Pell Grants and work-study won't be option, but you may still be able to take advantage of private scholarships -- just be sure to read the eligibility criteria carefully. [Explore what to know about financial aid in online programs.]-- Pay as you go: One of the great benefits to enrolling online is the flexible schedule, which can allow you to complete your college coursework around your responsibilities. But prospective students often overlook using their part- or full-time job earnings as an option for paying for college. Almost 80 percent of college students in 2015 worked at least part time while attending classes, according to the National Center for Education Statistics. By budgeting and thinking strategically about your college costs, you can likely reduce your dependence on student loans by paying a portion out of pocket. Many -- but not all -- online programs are less expensive than traditional programs and often have shorter payment periods. Six, eight or 10 weeks are common course durations. Because of the frequency of payments in an online setting, you may be well-placed to pay as you go and possibly avoid borrowing altogether. Attending college online and avoiding student loans may be challenging, but if you are willing to put in the effort, you can limit the amount you need to borrow. More from U.S. News Q&A: Understanding Student Loan Discharge Eligibility Student Loan Refinancing Isn't Right for All Borrowers
Read Next Story

Related News

Frustration grows in Venezuela as earthquake death toll reaches 1,430

Israel and Lebanon sign framework agreement with US in ‘first step’ toward peace, Rubio says

Trump-endorsed populist poised to become Colombia’s next president as rival challenges vote