He is one of the rising stars of Italian basketball, since December 2015 and in America to study and improve, and already in the national basketball team led by the coach, Marco Crespi.
We are talking about Elisa Penna, a wing of Wake Forest University born in 1995 . She was born in Bergamo, she was able to tread the Serie A1 parquet with Reyer Venezia , before the call from the United States of America .
How the sporting adventure in Wake Forest University proceeds
The adventure here in the States is going really well. I feel good at Wake Forest, above all thanks to the wonderful people around me, people who are ready to help me in time of need.
Friends, coaches, managers and all those who work in the athletes department are very close to me, they are those who help me to grow daily not only from a basketball point of view, but also from a human point of view.
How is it going, however, from the “academic”
point of view From the academic point of view, I am very satisfied with my performance. The university is very demanding and the professors demanding, but I’m studying what I’m passionate about (psychology and anthropology); therefore the whole thing is more interesting and spending a lot of my time on books is relatively heavy.
You have been in the US for 2 years, in what you feel you have improved, both sporting and humanly
I think these two years spent in America have helped me a lot not only from a sporting point of view, but above all on a personal level. This experience is making me more confident on and off the pitch. It is helping me a lot in being more open as a person and, therefore, less introverted. I am having the opportunity to see and discover many new things. It is also for this reason that I am truly grateful for the opportunity that has been given to me.
The sporting life you are living in Winston is distinctly different from the one you lived in Italy
The experience here in America is very different from that lived in Italy. I think the biggest difference is due to the fact that here, playing sports for a university, playing basketball is not the only thing that matters.
First of all there is the school and, if you don’t get good results from the academic point of view, you risk not playing until you improve the school average. Furthermore, the championship is structured in a different way from the Italian one: we play two games a week. It starts in November and ends in early April. The season is short, but very intense!
You have made friends, you feel an integral part of the group that was created in the University
Sure! Thanks to the fact that English is getting better and better, I feel more and more at ease. I was able to create excellent friendships not only in the team, but also with other athletes and some university students.
What it’s like to be in college that was by Tim Duncan
Crazy! In all sports buildings there are pictures of him or jerseys of him. Tim Duncan is truly an inspiration for many athletes, and beyond, at Wake Forest.
The season as it is going
We are halfway through the season now, and for now we are doing well. We have lost a couple of games that could have been taken home, but we are a young team that has a great desire to improve, and certainly these two defeats can only serve as a lesson for the future. I am convinced that if we work hard every day in the gym, as we are doing, we will be able to get some great satisfaction this year.
You got the call from coach Crespi, how important it is for you to wear the blue shirt
The blue shirt is the most beautiful shirt a player can wear. Being able to carry the inscription Italy on the chest is a great honor, and with it also carries great responsibilities. I am truly honored and grateful for this call, even if unfortunately I was unable to join the rest of the team for this first round of qualifying for the European Championship due to a small injury. But the emotions that come with wearing the blue shirt are missing, and I hope to be able to wear it again one day.
Your national team mate Cecilia Zandalasini won the WNBA title in Minnesota. Would you like to one day make the leap to WNBA
The WNBA is a dream that I hope to make into reality one day. I really congratulate Cecilia for the ring she won with the Lynx! As they say: “a lot of stuff”! (laughs, ed).
Do you believe that women’s basketball is still little considered compared to men’s and other sports
? I believe that women’s basketball in Italy is slowly growing in popularity. I think many people have approached basketball in the squad thanks to the excellent results that the national team has been achieving in recent times.
You miss Italy
Yes, I miss Italy, home, friends and family. My thoughts are always there and in my heart. This makes them feel closer to me.
What is the real dream you want to realize
I will reveal it when it comes true! (laughs, ed).
There are some clumsy and joking anecdotes that you want to tell us
The thousand ways in which Americans pronounce my name make me laugh. Every day is different!
