Matilde Villa

Last updated

Matilde Villa
No. 6Atlanta Dream
PositionShooting Guard
Personal information
Born (2004-12-09) December 9, 2004 (age 19)
Lissone, Carate Brianza, Lombardy, Italy
Listed height5 ft 7 in (1.70 m)
Career information
WNBA draft 2024: 3rd round, 32nd overall pick
Playing career2022–present
Career history
2022–2024 Reyer Venezia
Stats at WNBA.com

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. [1]

Contents

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. [1] [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. [2]

She was selected in the third round, as the 32nd overall draft pick in the 2024 WNBA draft by the Atlanta Dream. She is the fourth Italian player to be selected in the WNBA, and joins fellow Italian Lorela Cubaj on the team. [2]

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. [1] 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. [3] 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]

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References

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

(WNBA player profile)