Cecilia Zandalasini

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Cecilia Zandalasini
Cecilia Zandalasini 24 Fenerbahçe Women's Basketball 20191031 (1).jpg
Zandalasini in 2019
No. 24 – Virtus Bologna
PositionSmall forward
LeagueLBF
Personal information
Born (1996-03-16) March 16, 1996 (age 25)
Broni, Italy
NationalityItalian
Listed height6 ft 2 in (1.88 m)
Listed weight180 lb (82 kg)
Career information
Playing career2010–present
Career history
2013–2014Geas Basket
2014–2018PF Schio
2017–2018Minnesota Lynx
2018–2021Fenerbahçe
2021–presentVirtus Bologna
Career highlights and awards

Cecilia Zandalasini (Italian: [tʃeˈtʃiːlja ddzandalaˈziːni]; born March 16, 1996) is an Italian basketball player for Virtus Bologna of the Italian LBF and the Italian national team.[1] She was the MVP of 2016 FIBA Europe Under-20 Championship for Women.

Early life[]

Zandalasini was born on March 16, 1996 in Broni, Italy. She is the daughter of Roberto Zandalasini and Paola Lombardi.[2] While playing with Geas Basket, she won six Italian youth club championships.[2]

Professional career[]

Geas Basket (2013–14)[]

At the age of 17, Zandalasini played as a guard under Geas Basket for the 2013–14 season. She led the team in points with a total of 314 across 20 games (15.7 PPG).[3]

PF Schio (2014–2018)[]

Zandalasini has played with PF Schio since 2014. In Zandalasini's third season with the team in 2016–17, the team won the Coppa Italia and reached the Serie A1 playoff finals. The team continued to the EuroLeague postseason, where Zandalasini had a team high 13.5 PPG.

EuroBasket[]

At EuroBasket Women 2017 she averaged 19.0 points (2nd in event) and 9.6 rebounds (3rd in event)[4] and earned a spot on the All-Tournament Team. Jeff Taylor of FIBA.com called her performance "the greatest FIBA EuroBasket Women debut of all time".[5]

Minnesota Lynx (2017–present)[]

With only three games left in their 2017 regular season, the Minnesota Lynx signed Zandalasini as an unrestricted free agent on August 28, 2017.[6] Zandalasini was only able to play 18:37 of the remainder of the regular season and 11 during the playoffs, which the Lynx won.[2]

On February 7, 2018, it was announced that the Lynx would re-sign Zandalasini for the 2018 season.[7] Zandalasini became a breakout player during the season after a buzzer-beating play against the New York Liberty in their June 16 game.[8] She has subsequently seen more minutes of play, establishing herself as a fit for the sixth woman role.[9][10]

Zandalasini guarded by Myisha Hines-Allen in 2018

Zandalasini did not play with the Lynx during their 2019 season due to her international team commitments and an ankle injury.[11]

On February 29, 2020, the Lynx announced that would re-signed Zandalasini for the 2020 season in a non-disclosed deal. However she did not play any games for the Lynx during the shortened 2020 season.[12][13][14]

Fenerbahçe (2018–2021)[]

On July 4, 2018, she had signed a two-year deal with the Turkish women's basketball club, Fenerbahçe.[15]

Virtus Bologna (2021–present)[]

On May 5, 2021, Zandalasini signed a two-year deal with the Italian women's basketball club Virtus Bologna.[16]

References[]

  1. ^ FIBA profile
  2. ^ a b c "WNBA Player Profile". WNBA.com. Retrieved July 9, 2018.
  3. ^ "A.S.D. Geas Basket — 2014". playbasket.it. Retrieved June 26, 2018.
  4. ^ EuroBasket 2017 profile
  5. ^ Taylor, Jeff (June 25, 2017). "Italy and Zandalasini win more fans after painful loss". FIBA.basketball.
  6. ^ Youngblood, Kent (August 28, 2017). "Lynx sign Italian league standout Cecilia Zandalasini". Star Tribune. Retrieved June 26, 2018.
  7. ^ "Lynx Re-Sign Cecilia Zandalasini, Add Lynetta Kizer And Endy Miyem". Minnesota Lynx. February 7, 2018. Retrieved June 26, 2018.
  8. ^ Mizutani, Dane (June 18, 2018). "Italian import Cecilia Zandalasini proving to be Lynx's best kept secret". Pioneer Press. Retrieved June 26, 2018.
  9. ^ Sinker, Howard (June 25, 2018). "Lynx battle in weekend of sharp elbows on social media". Star Tribune. Retrieved June 26, 2018.
  10. ^ Martin, Sloane (June 19, 2018). "With the Lynx in need of a spark, Cecilia Zandalasini stepping into the spotlight". The Athletic. Retrieved June 26, 2018.
  11. ^ Youngblood, Kent (July 31, 2019). "Seimone Augustus near return, but Cecilia Zandalasini won't play for Lynx". Star Tribune. Retrieved March 3, 2020.
  12. ^ Youngblood, Kent (March 2, 2020). "Lynx re-sign Cecilia Zandalasini". Star Tribune. Retrieved March 3, 2020.
  13. ^ "Lynx Re-Sign Forward Cecilia Zandalasini". Minnesota Lynx. February 29, 2020. Retrieved March 3, 2020.
  14. ^ Hansen, Mitchell (February 29, 2020). "Minnesota Lynx Re-Sign Forward Cecilia Zandalasini". Zone Coverage. Retrieved March 3, 2020.
  15. ^ Cicchinè, Giulia (July 4, 2018). "Zandalasini al Fenerbahce: l'azzurra ora in WNBA, giocherà in Turchia per vincere l'Eurolega". Eurosport (in Italian). Retrieved May 19, 2019.
  16. ^ La Virtus Bologna ufficializza Cecilia Zandalasini: Felice di tornare e vestire questa maglia, Sportando
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