Between high school graduation, a knee injury, and a visa that seemed never to come, Anita Franchini had to overcome more than one challenge before fulfilling her dream: flying to the United States to play basketball in the NCAA.
Mandatory question. Did you manage to get the visa?
Yes, luckily yes. Going to the United States has always been a dream, so when the visa issue came up, it was a bit of a blow. Fortunately, the university was very helpful: they guided me step by step, always in contact with me, so I never really feared I wouldn’t be able to leave. Also, to be honest, between graduation and knee rehab, I was so overwhelmed that I almost forgot about the visa problem.
Since you mentioned it, how did your graduation go?
Everything went well! Although it wasn’t easy: playing in Serie A and attending an art high school, where there are many hours of lab work and therefore frequent extra hours, requires a lot of commitment. Being a student-athlete in Italy is not easy, and it was precisely the prospect of being in a context like the American one, where sports and education do not exclude each other, that pushed me to choose the NCAA.
Who told you about it?
I was lucky enough to talk with some girls who had already gone through this journey, like Francesca Pan e Lorela Cubaj and they gave me a lot of useful advice. Eleonora Villa even told me that she almost doesn’t want to come back to Italy anymore! Hearing these words from those who have been through it helps me to face this choice with even more peace of mind.
Anita Franchini plays last two season in Reyer Venezia, Italian Champion in 2024 and runner-up in 2025. Her teammates are former Georgia Tech’s player Francesca Pan e Lorela Cubaj
We’re curious. What did Pan and Cubaj tell you?
They told me I would have the same trainer they had, Yolanda Berryhill, and they already warned me about the classic “love and hate” relationship with her exercises (laughs).
Tell us a bit about your recruiting at Texas A&M.
It all happened very quickly. They were looking for an international player, and at that time I was starting to look around to see if the NCAA could be a path for me. That’s how it all started: I got in touch with assistant coach Chelsea Newton– who also played here in Italy – and she told me she would come to Venice to watch one of my practices and talk. I was super excited but, as luck would have it, two days before she came, I injured my knee. At that moment, I thought, “It’s over; I’ve lost my chance.” But she came anyway and right away we had a good connection. A few weeks later, I had a video call with coach Taylor, and from there I understood that I would be in the right place because they made me feel like one of them from the start.
Did you have a chance to visit the campus and meet your future teammates?
Yes, I went to visit Texas A&M’s college: it was a wonderful experience. Both the team and the staff gave me a warm welcome. I would have stayed there already then, but, you know, first I had to finish high school. (laughs)
A pics from photoshoot did in the recruiting trip at College Station.
Tactically, have they already explained to you what your role will be and what they expect from you?
Yes. They wanted to integrate an international player into their system to bring a different approach to their style of play. They expect from me precisely a more European approach, based on reading the game and involving my teammates. Additionally, I was also chosen for my physicality, which has helped me a lot here in Italy. Although I don’t yet have a fixed defensive role, coach Taylor’s idea is to help me grow within a system that highlights my strengths while at the same time helping me improve in the areas where I still have weaknesses.
Speaking of defense, I can’t help but think of South Carolina. How do you feel about having to face one of the strongest teams in the NCAA and competing in the SEC, one of the most competitive conferences in women’s basketball?
For me, it’s an honor to face teams like South Carolina, Texas, and LSU. The idea of challenging myself in such a conference excites me, and having to go up against players like Flau’Jae Johnson or Mikaylah Williams, for example, is fascinating.
Is there any player you can’t wait to compete against?
One of the players I would have liked to face is JuJu Watkins, but unfortunately, she also injured her ACL, so our challenge will have to wait (laughs). Still, it will be nice to meet Caterina Piatti again, who will play in Florida: she’s a former teammate of mine from the U18 national team, and it will be great to see her again on the court outside of Italy.
What advice would you give to a player who dreams of a future in college?
Stepping out of your comfort zone is essential. Of course, the distance and uncertainty of an experience with unknown dynamics can be scary, but until you live it, you’ll never know who you really are or what you’re made of. Facing experiences like this is indispensable for growing as an athlete and as a person. So my advice is: if you get the chance, seize the opportunity without thinking too much about it.
