00:02Last year, Cecilia Zondolazzini drove Italy to its first FIBA Women's Eurobasket medal in 30 years.
00:09Now, she's ended another long wait.
00:13Step back three for Zondolazzini!
00:16What a bucket from your veteran!
00:20Leading her nation to its first World Cup berth since 1994.
00:25What a game by Team Italy.
00:28They came in the underdogs and stamped their ticket for the 2026 World Cup.
00:36Zondolazzini starred for Italy at the qualifying tournament in San Juan earlier this year,
00:41earning a place on the All-Star 5 after delivering 14 points a game.
00:47Cecilia Zondolazzini!
00:49That's what you want from your veterans.
00:51And saving her best for when it mattered most,
00:54with 22 in an upset win over Spain that sealed the Azzurres' place at September's tournament in Berlin.
01:01Cecilia Zondolazzini doing what she does best.
01:05She is so skilled, so strong, and finishes so well at the rim through contact.
01:12She was far from alone, though.
01:14Guard Francesca Pazza, playmaker Costanza Verona, and center Lorella Kubai,
01:20among those providing important contributions throughout,
01:23as Italy closed the tournament with a 4-1 record.
01:30It built on the momentum of Italy's run at Eurobasket last year,
01:34which included Zondolazzini hitting the winning basket in overtime against Turkey A.
01:39It's Zondolazzini, she turns, and gets it to go, finally!
01:45And a 20-point effort to push her team past France in the third-place game.
01:50The bronze medal representing Italy's best finish since taking silver in 1995.
01:56And the Italians have done it!
01:57Remarkable scenes!
01:59They have come from Bologna, and really, they have shocked Perez!
02:04They have reached the podium!
02:08But perhaps just as special was the group phase,
02:11played in front of a home crowd in Bologna,
02:14as Italy's 3-0 start set the tone for its historic run.
02:19Spins, fades, oh, Chattelio, Zondolazzini,
02:23very well, absolutely, very well.
02:27Oh, crossover.
02:29Zondolazzini, open in this slot, 3-4, it's good for Chattelio, Zondolazzini!
02:35In Bologna, there were a lot of people, you know, coming and seeing us,
02:40which brings, you know, the momentum towards this team
02:44and towards women's basketball in general in Italy.
02:47So, as everybody can say, a nation, like, to grow needs national team to win games
02:55and to win as much as possible in international competitions.
02:58So, I think we are in a good path.
03:02Zondolazzini for three!
03:08Zondolazzini has continued that work, growing the game in her homeland,
03:12spending this past season with Famalasquio,
03:15helping it win the Lega Basket Feminile title
03:18before returning to the United States for her fifth WNBA season
03:22and second with the Golden State Valkyries.
03:28And with the World Cup approaching in September,
03:31it won't be long before Zondolazzini swaps her Valkyries jersey
03:34for the Azzurri once more.
03:38Zondolazzini goes on!
03:40T1 makes the dream of Harry Bologna!
03:46The Italians will tip off in Berlin against Czechia,
03:49playing its first World Cup in 12 years,
03:52before facing the two finalists from 2022,
03:55defending champion United States and silver medalist China.
03:59It will be a challenging group,
04:01but for a team that has already ended two long waits in the past year,
04:05the best may be yet to come.
04:08Zondolazzini is going to force things a little bit.
04:16For all the latest on the road to FIBA Women's World Cup 2026,
04:21head to FIBA.Basketball.
04:23Shot clock at four, Zondolazzini will have to create for herself.
04:26High arcing Zondolazzini!
04:28Ha ha! Let's go to the ceiling!
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