# BC Kibirkštis

BC VIČI-Aistės Kaunas was a Lithuanian women's basketball club based in Kaunas. Before ceasing operations due to financial difficulties, the team was the most titled women's basketball club in Lithuania.

## History

The team, originally called "Kibirkštis" (transl. "Spark"), was founded in Vilnius in 1961 as homage to a nearby electrical welding equipment plant. Its first coach was Algis Gedminas, a no-nonsense disciplinarian who had previously taught at a Moldavian pedagogical institute. Under Gedminas's direction, Kibirkštis quickly became a powerhouse in the Soviet Lithuanian women's basketball league, winning back-to-back championships in the late 1960s and early 1970s, as well as several bronze medals in the top-tier Soviet basketball tournament. The team was led by women who represented Soviet Union national team in various European Championships and Olympic Tournaments, including Larisa Vinčaitė, Angelė Jankūnaitė-Rupšienė and Vida Šulskytė-Beselienė.
After Lithuania's restoration of independence, the team continued to dominate in the Lithuanian basketball championship, attracting local talent such as Aneta Kaušaitė and Jurgita Štreimikytė-Virbickienė (the first two Lithuanian players in the WNBA) and international talent alike. During this transitionary period, Kibirkštis's name changed to "Ryšininkas-Šviesa" in 1990, "Telerina" in 1992, "Lietuvos Telekomas" in 1995 and "TEO" in 2006. The team also established a subsidiary club "Lintel-118" around 2000, which tailored to youth development and competed in LMKL and LMKAL until its folding in 2006. One notable alumna is Gintarė Petronytė, a two-time EuroCup Women champion who started her career with "Lintel-118" in 2005.
Telekomas reached unprecedented heights in the 2004-05 and 2005-06 season, when, headed by Algirdas Paulauskas, the team won the LMKL, BWBL tournaments and reached the semifinal in the top-tier EuroLeague Women tournament. WNBA All-Star and Champion Katie Douglas, European Basketball Champion Jurgita Štreimikytė and two-time EuroLeague bronze medalist Sandra Linkevičienė formed this team’s core.
In 2010, TEO relocated to Kaunas and was renamed "VIČI-Aistės". After two successful seasons, the team dissolved due to a lack of sponsorship.

## Titles

| Season | Domestic League | Domestic League | Regional League | Regional League | International League | International League |
| Season | League | Pos | League | Pos | League | Pos |
| 1961–62 | Lithuanian Soviet Championship | 3 | USSR Championship | 24 | | |
| 1963–64 | | | USSR Championship | 14 | | |
| 1964–65 | | | USSR Championship | 15 | | |
| 1965–66 | Lithuanian Soviet Championship | 3 | USSR Championship | 13 | | |
| 1967–68 | Lithuanian Soviet Championship | 1 | USSR Championship | 4 | | |
| 1968–69 | Lithuanian Soviet Championship | 1 | USSR Championship | 3 | | |
| 1969–70 | Lithuanian Soviet Championship | 1 | USSR Championship | 5 | | |
| 1970–71 | Lithuanian Soviet Championship | 1 | USSR Championship | 3 | | |
| 1971–72 | Lithuanian Soviet Championship | 1 | USSR Championship | 3 | | |
| 1972–73 | Lithuanian Soviet Championship | 3 | USSR Championship | 7 | | |
| 1974–75 | | | USSR Championship | 6 | | |
| 1975–76 | | | USSR Championship | 5 | | |
| 1976–77 | | | USSR Championship | 4 | | |
| 1977–78 | | | USSR Championship | 4 | | |
| 1978–79 | | | USSR Championship | 4 | | |
| 1979–80 | | | USSR Championship | 6 | | |
| 1980–81 | | | USSR Championship | 9 | | |
| 1981–82 | | | USSR Championship | 8 | | |
| 1983–84 | | | USSR Championship | 3 | | |
| 1989–90 | Lithuanian League | 1 | | | | |
| 1990–91 | Lithuanian League | 1 | | | | |
| 1991–92 | Lithuanian League | 1 | | | | |
| 1992–93 | Lithuanian League | 1 | | | | |
| 1994–95 | Lithuanian League | 1 | Baltic League | 1 | | |
| 1995–96 | Lithuanian League | 1 | Baltic League | 2 | | |
| 1996–97 | Lithuanian League | | Baltic League | 2 | | |
| 1997–98 | Lithuanian League | | Baltic League | | | |
| 1998–99 | Lithuanian League | | Baltic League | 3 | | |
| 1999–00 | Lithuanian League | 1 | Baltic League | 1 | | |
| 2000–01 | Lithuanian League | 1 | Baltic League | 1 | Euroleague Women | Eight Final |
| 2001–02 | Lithuanian League | 1 | Baltic League | 1 | Euroleague Women | Group Stage |
| 2002–03 | Lithuanian League | 1 | Baltic League | 1 | | |
| 2003–04 | Lithuanian League | 1 | Baltic League | 1 | Euroleague Women | Group Stage |
| 2004–05 | Lithuanian League | 1 | Baltic League | 1 | Euroleague Women | 3 |
| 2005–06 | Lithuanian League | 1 | Baltic League | 1 | Euroleague Women | 4 |
| 2006–07 | Lithuanian League | 1 | Baltic League | 1 | | |
| 2007–08 | Lithuanian League | 1 | Baltic League | 1 | | |
| 2008–09 | Lithuanian League | 1 | Baltic League | 1 | | |
| 2009–10 | Lithuanian League | 1 | Baltic League | 1 | | |
| 2010–11 | Lithuanian League | 1 | Baltic League | 1 | | |
| 2011–12 | Lithuanian League | 1 | Baltic League | 1 | | |

## Notable players

* Larisa Vinčaitė (1963–1973)
* Angelė Jankūnaitė-Rupšienė (1968–1984)
* Vida Šulskytė-Beselienė (1973–1988)
* Aneta Kaušaitė (1988–1993)
* Jurgita Štreimikytė-Virbickienė (1990–1993; 2004–2005; 2005–2010)
* Irena Baranauskaitė-Vizbarienė (1995–2007)
* Aušra Bimbaitė (2001–2009; 2010–2011)
* Eglė Šulčiūtė (2001–2003; 2004–2007)
* Gintarė Petronytė (2005–2009)
* Sandra Valužytė-Linkevičienė (1999–2008; 2011)
* Rima Vadapalaitė-Valentienė (1998–2009; 2010–2012)
* Ieva Kubliņa (2004–2006)
* Katie Douglas (2004–2007)
* Yelena Leuchanka (2006–2008)
* Milica Dabović (2007)
* Nykesha Sales (2007–2008)
* Crystal Langhorne (2008–2009)
* Lindsey Harding (2009–2010)
* Quanitra Hollingsworth (2010–2011)
* Chioma Nnamaka (2009–2010)

## Head coaches

* Algis Gedminas (1961–1981)
* Valentinas Kanapkis (1981–1986)
* Heino Lill (1988–1989)
* Valentinas Kanapkis (1994–1997)
* Algirdas Budėnas (1998–2001)
* Algirdas Paulauskas (2001–2007)
* Rūtenis Paulauskas (2007–2009)
* Mantas Šernius (2010–2012)