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\u2019s basketball. The guard has already built an impressive resume with Israel\u2019s youth national teams and is preparing for her sixth campaign in blue-and-white at the FIBA U20 Women\u2019s European Championship in Lithuania, which tips off on Saturday.<\/p>\n
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\u2019s 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<\/a> as Israel advanced to the quarterfinals.<\/p>\n The past season also marked another important step in her development. Playing for Maccabi Bnot Ashdod in the Israel Women\u2019s 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.<\/p>\n Just before the tournament in Alytus and Klaipeda, Zilbershlag spoke with The Jerusalem Post about the national team, her move to the NCAA<\/a> and her long-term ambitions.<\/p>\n \u201cIt\u2019s been great so far,\u201d she said of Israel\u2019s preparations. \u201cWe\u2019ve been practicing together for about a month and a half now, and we\u2019re really starting to build our system.\u201d<\/p>\n Looking back at her season in Ashdod, Zilbershlag believes it provided exactly the environment she needed.<\/p>\n \u201cI 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.\u201d<\/p>\n Her next challenge will come in the United States after committing to Purdue, a decision she said had been years in the making.<\/p>\n \u201cOver 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\u2019m coming there to play and be the best player I can be, and that\u2019s exactly what they expect from me as well. Hopefully everything goes well.\u201d<\/p>\n The decision was made easier thanks to conversations with fellow Israelis Hila Karsh and Omer Mayer, who were both on campus this past season.<\/p>\n \u201cYes, 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\u2019s 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.\u201d<\/p>\n Like last summer, Zilbershlag is expected to represent both Israel\u2019s U20 and U18 teams, although her immediate focus remains on the older squad.<\/p>\n \u201cRight now I\u2019m focused on the here and now with the U20 team and God willing, the U18 team as well.\u201d<\/p>\n Although she dominated offensively at last year\u2019s U18 European Championship, the tournament ended in disappointment as Israel was relegated after entering with limited preparation in the aftermath of the war.<\/p>\n \u201cIt was challenging. We went into the tournament right after the war, without much preparation or many practices. This year I really hope we\u2019ll have much better preparation and it\u2019s already been very different from last year because we\u2019ve been able to build a much more consistent and productive training routine.\u201d<\/p>\n Zilbershlag has suffered setbacks but still keeps her numbers up<\/p>\n 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\u2019s memorable victory over France and scored 16 points.<\/p>\n \u201cI injured my ankle in the first game, so I didn\u2019t really play much in the first few games. The game against France was one of the biggest games I\u2019ve 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.\u201d<\/p>\n Now one of the leaders of this year\u2019s squad, Zilbershlag understands that every player has a role to fill.<\/p>\n \u201cAt 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\u2019m sure we\u2019ll find the right balance and everyone will have their role and help the team as much as possible.\u201d<\/p>\n She also expects fellow standout Gal Raviv, who spent last season at Purdue, to have a major impact.<\/p>\n \u201cGal is an excellent player. I think she brings a lot to the team and she helps all of us become better players in practice.\u201d<\/p>\n![\"THE](\"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/iran\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/07\/711515.jpeg\"\/)
THE ISRAELI WOMEN’S National Team improved to 5-0 in European Championship qualifying by overcoming Luxembourg over the weekend. (credit: FIBA\/COURTESY)Zilbershlag is a major leader on the national team, plans to play college basketball<\/p>\n