From Italy to the United States, Matilde Villa’s star will also shine in the WNBA. Magical night that of Brooklyn Academy of Music where, in the night between Monday and Tuesday, the 2024 draft of the Stars and Stripes women’s professional league, the elite of world basketball, took place and, next year, Matilde Villa, the 19 year old talented point guard from Lissone from 2022 joining Umana Reyer.
INSIGHTS
THE SELECTION
Villa was selected by the Atlanta Dream with the 32nd overall pick, the eighth of the third round: in the history of Italian basketball she is the fourth Italian chosen in the draft after Catarina Pollini (1997, the year in which the American League started), Kathrin Ress (2007 ) and the other reyerina Lorela Cubaj (2022) who, after the experience a year ago at the Liberty where she was turned over by the Seattle Storm, a few weeks ago signed a contract for a training camp with the Atlanta Dream to play for a place on the WNBA roster perhaps alongside teammate Villa.
UNITED STATES
Atlanta could thus have an all-Italian play-pivot axis “made in orogranata”, the same one on which the national team is building the future of the blue movement. The importance of Villa’s call overseas is demonstrated by another element: she is the first Italian player ever, explains Umana Reyer, to have been chosen by a WNBA franchise directly from the Italian championship without going through the College.
«It’s a dream come true, I’m very happy. I see it as recognition for all the work done so far” explained Matilde Villa, fresh from a multi-year renewal with Reyer who wants to build a future on the 19-year-old ex Costa Masnaga, even if already this season the number 6 is proving to be essential in coach Andrea Mazzon’s board, traveling in the championship with 10 points and 3 average assists.
«Being able to share this moment with my teammates was special, we are a very united group. When my name came out I felt a very strong emotion. Lorela Cubaj was with me, having been chosen in her team fills me with pride.”
As expected, on the night in New York the first choice of the draft was Caitlin Clark, the new phenomenon of world basketball protagonist of a legendary career at Iowa where she rewrote every record at collegiate level (not just women), called up by the Indiana Fever; the second call fell to Cameron Brink chosen by the Los Angeles Sparks while the third was Kamilla Cardoso, a Brazilian who played at the College of South Carolina, included in the roster by the Chicago Sky.
EMOTION
«A few weeks ago they warned me that I could be included in the draft, I was also aware that they might not call me and the emotion, therefore, was even greater» Villa relives the night of the call. «Now the focus is on our season finale and I thank Reyer for helping me grow in these two years, we are one step away from our goal which is first place» explains the director of a Venezia team that is 40′ (Saturday 20 April against Oxygen Roma) from the record in the regular season which also guarantees passage to the Euroleague. Of the 36 WNBA draft picks, ten were made by “Internationals” (non-American) players. And in the United States Villa also has a special fan: his twin sister Eleonora She played her first Stars and Stripes season this year with Washington State University in the NCAA, becoming the team’s second best scorer with a 12.9 average.
2024-04-17 00:43:03
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