Matilde Villa Explained

Matilde Villa
Birth Date:9 December 2004
Birth Place:Lissone, Carate Brianza, Lombardy, Italy
Height Ft:5
Height In:7
Height Cm:170
Draft Year:2024
Draft Round:3
Draft Pick:32
Draft League:WNBA
Career Start:2022
Team:Atlanta Dream
Position:Shooting Guard
Number:6
Years1:2022–2024
Team1:Reyer Venezia
Wnba Profile:matilde-villa

Matilde Villa (born 9 December 2004) is an Italian basketball player who was drafted by the Atlanta Dream of the Women's National Basketball Association (WNBA).[1] She previously played for Reyer Venezia in Italy.

Professional career

At age 14, she debuted in Serie A1 with the Costa Masnaga sports club first team in the position of point guard. In 2020, she scored 36 points, 8 rebounds, and 4 assists in a match against Dinamo Sassari.[2] Her Serie A record is 20 wins and 3 losses.[3]

Villa played for Umana Reyer Venezia in Venice, Italy from 2022 to 2024. In the 2023–2024 season, she led the Italian Serie A with a per-game average of 10 points, 2.6 rebounds, and 3 assists. She had a 52% shot rate from two points, 36% from three, and 78% from the free throw line.

She was selected in the third round, 32nd overall, by the Atlanta Dream in the 2024 WNBA draft. She was the fourth Italian player to be selected in the WNBA, and joins fellow Italian Lorela Cubaj on the team.

International career

At the FIBA U20 Women's European Championship in 2023, Villa was named a stand-out player by FIBA. She accumulated an average of 18.9 points per game, 6.7 rebounds per game, 4.9 assists per game, and 2.6 steals per game.[4]

Personal life

Matilde was born in Lissone, Carate Brianza, Lombardy, Italy. Her older brother Edoardo[5] and her twin sister Elonora are both basketball players, with Eleonora currently playing in the NCAA with the Washington State Cougars. Her and her sister Eleonora wanted to be professional dancers growing up, but were discouraged by her dance teacher and advised to change to basketball.[6]

External links

Notes and References

  1. Web site: Sport . Sky . 2024-04-16 . Matilde Villa scelta al Draft della WNBA . 2024-05-03 . Sky Sport . it.
  2. Web site: Sanaldi . Stefano . 2024-04-16 . Matilde Villa: who is the new blue star in the WNBA? . 2024-05-03 . Backdoorpodcast.com Podcast e news su Nba, Eurolega e Basket Serie A . en.
  3. Web site: 2024-04-22 . Chi è Matilde Villa, la giocatrice di basket italiana che giocherà nella Nba femminile . 2024-05-03 . ELLE . it-IT.
  4. Web site: Eight standout players of #FIBAU20Europe . 2024-05-03 . FIBA.basketball . en.
  5. Web site: Nast . Condé . 2024-04-17 . Chi è Matilde Villa, l'italiana scelta dalla Nba femminile . 2024-05-03 . Vanity Fair Italia . it-IT.
  6. Web site: Vanetti . Flavio . 2024-04-16 . Brianzola, 19 anni, predestinata: chi è Matilde Villa scelta per giocare in Wnba . 2024-05-03 . Corriere della Sera . it-IT.