“Ukrainian Wall under the Hoop” is going to Israel: Tatyana Yurkevichus signed a contract with “Hapoel” Be’er Sheva

Brief Announcement. Ukrainian basketball player Tatyana Yurkevichus will continue her career in Israel and strengthen the women’s “Hapoel” Be’er Sheva. We analyze her journey, strengths, and the club’s prospects for the new season.

Short answer: yes, Ukrainian national team player Tatyana Yurkevichus has signed a contract with the women’s club “Hapoel” Be’er Sheva for the 2025/26 season. This is a logical step for a team that needs strong rebounding and character under the basket.

“We are glad she joined the club and look forward to seeing her in red uniform“, report the official resources of “Hapoel” Be’er Sheva on August 26, 2025.

Yurkevichus comes after two seasons in Italy with strong rebounding statistics and experience playing for the Ukrainian national team in 5×5 and 3×3 formats. For the league, this is a reinforcement of the “paint,” and for the basketball player herself, it’s a platform where physicality and persistence convert into winning possessions.

We have already reported how the 27-year-old Ukrainian center Dmitry Skapintsev, known for his performances for the “Portland Trail Blazers” and G-League teams, officially became a player of the Jerusalem “Hapoel”. The transfer was announced on the club’s official social media pages and website — the news sparked interest not only among fans but also in the sports circles of Israel and Ukraine.

Why This Matters Right Now

The world is nervous, and around Israel, the rhetoric of boycotts and “unacceptability” is rising again. Against this backdrop, the arrival of a Ukrainian athlete is not just a transfer but a sign of trust and respect.

Ukraine has been defending against Russian aggression for the third year. Israel lives in the logic of a defensive war with its anxieties, shelters, and unpredictability. People who have gone through similar experiences understand each other faster without lengthy explanations.

The cooperation of Ukrainian athletes with Israeli clubs is a stable bridge that is not blown away by political winds. It normalizes everyday life, returning to the audience the feeling of life “between matches,” not just “between reports.”

What It Gives to Fans and the City

• A common language of experience. Ukrainians and Israelis know the value of security and mutual assistance.
• A signal against isolation. Sports show that Israel’s connection with the world is not interrupted.
• Practical benefits. Games attract local communities, businesses, and charitable initiatives.

This is a story not only about points and rebounds. It’s about how the word “solidarity” works in reality — quietly, consistently, on the court and in the stands.

Who is Tatyana Yurkevichus

Basic Facts

• Date of Birth: January 17, 1995 (Bar, Vinnytsia region).
• Position: power forward, can cover the “four” and “five” positions if necessary.
• Height: various databases indicate a range of 184–187 cm — in any case, a full-fledged “big” of the European school.
• Playing Profile: strong rebounding, smart box-out, usefulness without unnecessary noise.

Career Path

1. Ukraine. “Tim-SCUF” (Kyiv), “Interkhim” (Odesa), “Vinnytski Bliskavky”, “Kyiv-Basket”, “Frankivsk-PNU”.
2. Poland and Hungary. MKK Siedlce, Arka Gdynia, AZS UMCS Lublin; Pécs 424 — the first serious overseas cycle.
3. Italy. Sanga Milano, Battipaglia, Brixia — it was in Brescia that she revealed herself as a “rebound magnet.”
4. Israel. contract with “Hapoel” Be’er Sheva — a step towards the role of an anchor under the basket in the fast local league.

Height and Anthropometry: Why It Matters

The height range of 184–187 cm for Europe is a normal story: different databases round off in their own way. The key is not in centimeters but in the ability to take position and read the trajectory. This is how Yurkevichus wins games — not only due to height but also due to timing.

What is the “Hapoel” Be’er Sheva (women) Club

How the Project Was Built

The women’s team in Be’er Sheva has been growing since 2020: first confident dominance in the Alef League (South), then a step into the Artzit League and consolidation in the National League. For the southern center of the country, this is not just a sports asset but part of the city’s identity.

Local Context

Israeli women’s basketball lives at the intersection of budget, personnel, and bureaucracy. Sometimes the fate of elite status is decided literally in the summer. Therefore, betting on a player who guarantees “plus possessions” through rebounding looks especially rational.

Why She Was Signed

Numbers That Explain the Deal

• 20 games last season for Brixia (Serie A1).
• 29.6 minutes on average — trust from coaches and endurance.
• 12.8 rebounds per game — a figure that changes the geometry of offense and defense.
• 6.3 points, 1.2 assists, 1.5 steals — “plus” in small things that accumulate results.
• Ukrainian National Team. In EuroBasket-2025 qualification — about 10.5 rebounds per game, a place in the top group for this indicator.

What It Gives to the Club

• Control of the board. Second chances in attack and a “cold shower” for opponents in defense.
• Transitions. Quick first pass after a rebound — a ticket to early transition and easy points.
• Flexibility of the five. Can play alongside a classic center or in “small-ball” as the only “big.”

How Yurkevichus Changes “Hapoel’s” Style

Scheme and Roles

The basic scenario is a starting “four” with a volume of 28–32 minutes. In attack — screens to the center, roll for the rebound, short pass from the “dunker spot.” In defense — box-out, weak-side help, aggressive collection on the opponent’s board.

Key Strengths

• Rebounding in both free throws. Ability to “pull” the ball on contact and pick up the hustle of endings.
• Positioning and timing. Reading the trajectory is more important than centimeters — here she has a reputation as a “ball magnet.”
• Team discipline. Does the “dirty” work without breaking the structure of the attack.

Risks and Limitations

• Fouls. Aggressive style can create foul trouble — balance and rotation are needed.
• Free throws. In the past, there have been percentage fluctuations — the coaching staff should allocate specific routines.
• External factors. Registration nuances of the women’s league in Israel often surface in the summer and affect the starting framework.

What to Do About It

The plan is simple: early substitution with two quick fouls, personal shooting series in training, and clear communication of roles. This way, risks are mitigated, and the benefits for which she was signed are preserved.

“The best compliment for a ‘big’ is when the team sighs with relief after each of her rebounds. In Italy, Yurkevichus provided just that. In Be’er Sheva, they will feel it quickly.”

Forecast for the 2025/26 Season

Individual Targets

• Double-digit rebounds on average — an achievable target with 28–32 minutes.
• Double-doubles as a working norm in matches with equal opponents.
• 2–3 “second chances” per game — what is measured in additional points at the end.

Team Goals

• If starting in the National League — fighting for the upper part of the table and a long playoff.
• If registration in the elite takes place — to stay in the league, turning the home arena into an uncomfortable venue for favorites.

National Team and 3×3: How It All Fits Together

The Ukrainian national team’s calendar remains a factor, but the format of the Israeli championship allows working with windows. The 3×3 experience adds an explosive first step and mobility on the perimeter, which increases Yurkevichus’s value in endings.

Context: Israel — Ukraine and NAnews Readers

For the NAnews project, this is not just a transfer within the Israel News section. It’s another stroke to the bridge between Ukraine and Israel: sports, diaspora, Jewish community, conversations about culture and economy — everything converges on the court, where details decide.

In the middle of the season, we will definitely return to the topic: NAnews — Israel News follows how Ukrainian athletes fit into the local rhythm of Tel Aviv and Jerusalem, how the diaspora reacts to them, and what club policies are emerging in the south of the country. And yes, it is precisely Israel news of this caliber that most often shows how sports connect communities.

Where to Find Benefits for the Reader

• For those who support Israeli clubs: pay attention to rebounding statistics — it’s a marker of her influence.
• For the Ukrainian diaspora: The south of the country gets a player with “native” energy; Be’er Sheva games are a good reason for meetings and discussions.
• For children’s coaches: study the work with elbows, body positioning, and box-out discipline — it’s a real-time textbook.

What to Watch and How to Follow Without Unnecessary Noise

The season is long, and the main conclusions are born not in headlines but in recurring details: how quickly the team runs after her rebounds, how the percentage from “second chances” changes, how many mistakes are removed by one correct positioning. Note these details — they will tell about the result better than any declarations.

Tatyana Yurkevichus’s transfer to “Hapoel” Be’er Sheva is a deal for a reason. The club gets an anchor on the board and a workhorse that adds possessions and calmness in endings. For Israeli women’s basketball, it’s a chance to increase the density of competition, and for Ukrainian fans in Israel — a reason to come to the hall and recognize familiar persistence in the game.

Conclusions: Sports Support as a Two-Way Street

When the world argues about Israel louder than it listens, the gestures of those who understand the defensive logic from the inside are especially valuable. Ukrainian athletes understand this — their country itself is holding back Russian aggression and knows the value of a peaceful night.

Such support is important not only to see but also to respond to it with action. Reciprocity strengthens trust, and trust keeps cities on the rails of normal life.

What Clubs and Fans Can Do

• Programs for the diaspora. “Ukrainian evenings” at home games, bilingual announcements (Ukr/Rus + Hebrew), attention to the families of new immigrants.
• Joint charity. Joint actions in support of the wounded, youth basketball camps, patronage over children’s sections.
• Symbolic visibility. Presentation of athletes with an emphasis on their path, small flags on paraphernalia, respect for both cultures.
• Access to the stands. Special subscription and ticket packages for teachers, doctors, volunteers, and refugee families from Ukraine.

Why Israel Needs This

Because it is an investment in people who share our experience and are ready to work with elbows for the city and club. Sports here are more than just a result on the scoreboard: it returns the feeling of a shoulder.

For NAnews — Israel News, strong Israel–Ukraine cooperation is not a one-time plot but a long rhythm. And every such contract is a small victory over the idea of “isolation,” which real life in Be’er Sheva does not accept.