By Lauren Lynch
© Zahed Khan © Corleve
(October 21, 2010) Maria Sharapova wll be sporting some new sparkle the next time she takes the court. The baseliner has met her backcourt mate: Sharapova is engaged to Los Angeles Lakers guard Sasha Vujacic, her boyfriend of a year, Lakers.com reporter Mike Trudell tweeted tonight.
"Sasha Vujacic confirmed that he is engaged to girlfriend and tennis star Maria Sharapova," Trudell tweeted tonight.
The 23-year-old Sharapova is reportedly wearing the sizable engagement ring Vujacic gave her after she said yes to his "old school" proposal. Vujacic said the couple are both "really happy."
The athletic power couple, Masha and Sasha, is affectionately dubbed "Sashapova" by Lakers' beat writers.
Sharapova brought a bit of showtime to her practice session in Indian Wells in March as Vujacic, wearing a Los Angeles t-shirt, joined her on court at the end of the practice. The couple hit a few balls together as fans snapped photos (Sasha is holding Maria's Prince racquet in this photo).
Dating a fellow professional athlete has both tested and strengthened Sharapova's heart.
"Let me just tell you the last couple weeks when he was out saved me a few heartbeats," Sharapova said with a laught prior to the NBA playoffs last spring. "I just watch and I enjoy and, you know, I'm proud to know that there is someone else who comes home and works just as hard as I do even harder to be out there and to play. It's inspiring as well."
Vujacic and Sharapova aren't the NBA champions first celebrity couple. Lakers forward Lamar Odom is married to Khloe Kardashian and guard Shannon Brown is engaged to R&B singer Monica.