The summer months are among the busiest of the year for Israel’s top young basketball players as national teams compete across Europe in the U20, U18 and U16 European Championships.
With many of the country’s brightest prospects on display, the tournaments offer a glimpse into the future of Israeli basketball.
Among those leading the way is 18-year-old Maya Zilbershlag (1.77m/5-foot-10), widely regarded as one of the brightest young talents in Israeli women’s basketball. The guard has already built an impressive resume with Israel’s youth national teams and is preparing for her sixth campaign in blue-and-white at the FIBA U20 Women’s European Championship in Lithuania, which tips off on Saturday.
Last summer, Zilbershlag represented Israel at both the U18 and U20 European Championships. She finished as the leading scorer at the U18 tournament with 18.4 points per game despite Israel’s relegation to Division B, while also averaging 8.5 points for the U20 squad despite playing through an ankle injury. That tournament included a historic victory over France as Israel advanced to the quarterfinals.
The past season also marked another important step in her development. Playing for Maccabi Bnot Ashdod in the Israel Women’s Premier League, she averaged 9.3 points in nearly 29 minutes per game before deciding to continue her career at Purdue University beginning this fall.
Zilbershlag is a major leader on the national team, plans to play college basketball
Just before the tournament in Alytus and Klaipeda, Zilbershlag spoke with The Jerusalem Post about the national team, her move to the NCAA and her long-term ambitions.
“It’s been great so far,” she said of Israel’s preparations. “We’ve been practicing together for about a month and a half now, and we’re really starting to build our system.”
Looking back at her season in Ashdod, Zilbershlag believes it provided exactly the environment she needed.
“I had an amazing season. The people were incredible, and it was a great place to be. I really enjoyed it, and I think I learned so much and developed as a player there.”
Her next challenge will come in the United States after committing to Purdue, a decision she said had been years in the making.
“Over the past few years, I realized that going to college was my goal and what I wanted to do. I visited Purdue and really connected with the atmosphere, the people, and the campus. I’m coming there to play and be the best player I can be, and that’s exactly what they expect from me as well. Hopefully everything goes well.”
The decision was made easier thanks to conversations with fellow Israelis Hila Karsh and Omer Mayer, who were both on campus this past season.
“Yes, I spoke with both of them. Each one shared a little about their experience. I talked more with Hila, I actually spent almost two days with her there. They both told me what it’s like to be there and how much they enjoyed it. I also saw the relationships Hila had with the players and the coaching staff, and that really helped me make my decision.”
Like last summer, Zilbershlag is expected to represent both Israel’s U20 and U18 teams, although her immediate focus remains on the older squad.
“Right now I’m focused on the here and now with the U20 team and God willing, the U18 team as well.”
Although she dominated offensively at last year’s U18 European Championship, the tournament ended in disappointment as Israel was relegated after entering with limited preparation in the aftermath of the war.
“It was challenging. We went into the tournament right after the war, without much preparation or many practices. This year I really hope we’ll have much better preparation and it’s already been very different from last year because we’ve been able to build a much more consistent and productive training routine.”
Zilbershlag has suffered setbacks but still keeps her numbers up
Her U20 campaign also presented challenges after she suffered an ankle injury in the opening game. Despite missing significant time early in the tournament, she returned for Israel’s memorable victory over France and scored 16 points.
“I injured my ankle in the first game, so I didn’t really play much in the first few games. The game against France was one of the biggest games I’ve ever played in. We were all so energized, so focused, and we really wanted to win and prove ourselves. We were fighting for everything out there. It was an incredible victory, and I think everyone who was part of that team was privileged to represent Israel in such a huge win.”
Now one of the leaders of this year’s squad, Zilbershlag understands that every player has a role to fill.
“At the end of the day, we all know that everyone has a role to play and our common goal is to win, represent our country and play the best basketball we can. I’m sure we’ll find the right balance and everyone will have their role and help the team as much as possible.”
She also expects fellow standout Gal Raviv, who spent last season at Purdue, to have a major impact.
“Gal is an excellent player. I think she brings a lot to the team and she helps all of us become better players in practice.”
Before arriving in Lithuania, Israel will play several exhibition games in Latvia as part of a joint initiative between the Israel Basketball Association and the Latvian Federation, giving the team valuable opportunities to build chemistry.
“The exhibition games are very important. You can’t really know how things are going to work, or understand the structure, the hierarchy or how the team functions until you actually play games.”
Beyond this summer, Zilbershlag is optimistic about the direction of women’s basketball in Israel.
“I’m really happy with what’s been happening over the past few years. I think our generation is slowly breaking through more and more barriers and reaching places we never imagined.”
As for her own future, her ambitions are clear.
“My biggest dream is to make it to the WNBA, while our goal for the upcoming tournament is to go as far as we possibly can.”
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