College basketball is many things: a springboard toward the NBA and professional leagues, the one chance to shine on the court before facing adult life, an opportunity for social redemption through sport and studying at the highest level, or simply a wonderful life experience. To this list, in recent years, we can also add the irresistible opportunity for European players to earn significant money — and for a globetrotter like Anna Rescifina, who grew up between Italy and Spain, with a former-player mother and a father who is a club president, America was the natural destination.
A long conversation with one of the veterans of the Italian group in college basketball, now in her senior year. From her many interests to the challenges of entering the American world, to the power of NIL and the importance of having friends by your side throughout this journey.
Looking for information about you opens up a world that could lead to an interview solely about your life: let’s start with the fact that you were born and raised in a basketball family. Did your parents push you toward basketball or was it a natural path?
It was a very natural thing: my parents love sports, and since I was little, they encouraged me to try different sports. I couldn’t sit still as a child—I wanted to do everything, I didn’t like being at home. So, based on the season, I tried different sports: I did skiing, tennis, windsurfing, but the three main sports I played growing up were basketball, swimming, and karate. I liked all three equally and couldn’t choose one. In the end, I chose basketball because I had more fun, and then it was important at home—my mom (Lilia Malaja, editor’s note) was my first coach until I was 14. My dad was president of a sports club named after my grandfather, and when I was born, they played in A2. When I started, I wanted to play like my mom, and the teachings she gave me I couldn’t learn from anyone else. For her, basketball was always her life, and it was always natural for me to absorb what she taught me. Dad knows a lot about basketball too, and I slowly fell in love with the sport. At first, I wasn’t even practicing much: in the South, you didn’t train five times a week, but three, so I could do other things, like play violin or piano. Then when the call from Rome came, I took it as a sign.
Sicilian, went through Venice, but you were born in Spain and now play in America: where do you feel at home?
That’s a good question because my mother is Belarusian and was born in Ukraine, I was born in Spain, but I then lived in Messina, Rome, and Venice. I was supposed to get a Spanish passport, but with Covid, I couldn’t complete all the paperwork. But undoubtedly, home is Italy in general. I grew up in Messina, lived my first years of high school in Rome, and my last years in Venice—those are the years you grow as a person, learn to manage yourself. Going away from home made me mature; that’s why Rome reminds me of that period and tugs at my heart, also for the context. I played high school basketball with Penna, with Dotto, at the Acquacetosa center. Fourteen girls lived there; it was a dream to go to Rome to play basketball. We trained a lot, and that was when I focused on basketball and switched to doing it full-time, giving up other sports. But to me, home is more a feeling; it’s the people that make a place home.
You’re one of the veterans of college basketball: now the move to America almost seems obvious, but a few years ago, it wasn’t so. Where did the idea to go to the NCAA four years ago come from?
The idea to go to America came the last year of high school, very late compared to the usual process. It comes from the fact that I love to travel—I’d do it every day if I could. I liked that I grew up in Messina, then lived in Rome and Venice, meeting new people, changing, challenging myself, seeing if I could fit in. I thought America wouldn’t come around again; I either took the opportunity or I’d regret it. Worse case, I could come home, nothing was binding me there. I also wanted to challenge myself with a new type of basketball—the levels here are very high—and what struck me most was that in America, you aren’t forced to choose between sports and studies. For me, education is very important, and in Italy, it’s hard to play in A1 and study, say, medicine. Here they approach the idea more openly and don’t force you to choose. My year in Venice with Reyer—where I had the luck to train with WNBA players—opened my eyes to their physicality and a style of play different from the Italian or Eastern style my mom taught me. I wanted to add something to my experience. Plus, I was very skinny, it’s very hard for me to gain muscle, my metabolism is so fast, and America was an opportunity from that point of view, as well as to improve my one-on-one and three-point shot. It gave me the chance to be an athlete with a huge wealth of experience.
What were you like four years ago as a player and as a person, and how have you changed?
America has changed me, in terms of maturity, physically, and in awareness. Compared to four years ago, I’m more experienced, my IQ is higher, I think less when I play—it seems contradictory but it isn’t. Playing with a free mind is different; before, I would think when I had the ball, get a screen, and then shoot. Now I just react, do the same things but faster. Physically, I definitely feel stronger now, including my three-point shot.
Back to your beginnings—how did the recruiting process go?
It was a tough process because it started late, in December. That’s late for all the steps you have to do, which usually begin the year prior. It all went very quickly—talking to coaches, figuring out what I liked, what I didn’t. All the Patriot League teams called, plus other teams like Delaware. All East Coast teams, which was my goal. When I started this, I set some boundaries—including the East Coast, which made me feel closer to Italy. But let’s be real, it’s still a nine-hour flight; the other side would be seventeen. I wanted to live in a city, not be stuck in the middle of nowhere, wanted to meet people and make connections, go out, see the city. I was used to Venice and Rome. I also wanted a place that would give me the chance to play and had strong academics. Right now I’m working on two degrees: one in Business with a Finance specialization, and one in Data Science and Analytics. At American, the GPA (Grade Point Average) required is high; at other universities, they might ask for a GPA of 2.2, which says they don’t value studies as much. For me, studying was important. In the end, I ended up in Washington—couldn’t be better.
Part of your time there you shared with another Italian basketball player, Lorenzo Donadio. Was it useful to have an Italian contact in America?
I didn’t know Lollo before coming here and our first meeting was funny. My teammates welcomed me, we did a campus tour, and one of them told me about her best friend, an Italian who played on the boys’ team. And I said, “Wait, but is he really Italian?” Because in the US, they say they’re Italian even if they only had a great-grandparent from there, and they’ve never even seen Italy. A few days later we met and I was thrilled. Having someone Italian with me was very supportive. He studied business too, which helped. Then, being a student-athlete is very demanding—you’re busy and don’t have time to go out. Having that relationship with Lollo was like feeling at home, whether in the gym or during treatments. Talking in Italian for five minutes made me feel better. For example, we made pasta together. But it was also helpful to be with other European girls: in my first year, there was an English girl and a Spanish girl, and that was helpful because the difficulties for freshmen are many and internationals help each other a lot. Eleonora Villa, who has many internationals on her team, confirmed this for me.
What was your freshman year like?
Freshman year was a bit up and down. Unfortunately, many coaches here think that if you’re a freshman, you lack experience and have to, so to speak, learn from the older players. Which is funny to me because, of all the players on my team, I was the most experienced. You could tell me anything—you don’t know how to play, shoot, defend—but experience, for what I did in Italy, I had plenty. But my coach (Tiffany Coll) had this obsession with experience and these mandatory hierarchies. I say “up and down” because some teammates had terrible stories, with some saying they only played two minutes all year. In the end, I was in almost every game, even if just for a few minutes. Non-conference games, I had to earn the coach’s trust, but then I even started some games at the beginning of the Patriot League, and between January and February, I played some 20-25 minute games. Later, my minutes went down until the last few games of the year, where I either didn’t play or got three minutes as a token. But I can’t complain compared to others’ experiences, and it was a period of growth for me.
Let’s get to the last year, where you really played a lot. Tell us about it: did you expect to play since you were a junior?
I wouldn’t say I expected it because you should never expect things, but earn them. But last summer I worked hard, and then I saw results. Last year, we had a team with seven freshmen—basically half the team—and they’re not like 17-18-year-old Italian players who’ve already played in A1 or B. They come from high school, which is like under 18, so they arrive with little experience sometimes. So, it was a tough season; I ended up playing so much, I remember some games playing all 40 minutes, did practically every role. And that was the non-conference stretch.
The NCAA has changed a lot in recent years, economically and—especially for women—for visibility. Did you feel that from the inside?
Honestly, I haven’t dealt with the money issue yet. My scholarship is significant—$75,000 a year. But NIL is a turning point. In Europe, young women will never see this kind of money, that’s a fact. I know what they pay in Serie A and it’s not close, except maybe for an elite group of ten players in Italy. I don’t think it will change in Europe, so it’s a real turning point, and I’ve never seen so many Italians come here. At first, my freshman year, there was me and Laura Toffali, then Silvia Nativi and Clara Rosini, maybe Chiara Grattin too. Now we’re twenty and I understand, because it’s a life experience like few others. It’s only four years, and I always say, “Why wouldn’t you do it?” You get to live like a pro, and you really are one, even if you have to study too. Now with money as incentive, it just increases the draw. We call it the end point.
Women’s basketball is exploding worldwide
I even came back to Italy this summer and lots of people were talking about basketball—people who don’t know anything about it. Friends who don’t know what a pick & roll is were commenting on Caitlin Clark’s plays and saying, “Wow, what does she do?” and I’d say, “Look, I know how she plays.” They’ve started to get passionate, to watch it more. Here in America, I’ve seen WNBA games sold out—you either can’t find tickets or they cost a fortune. Crazy! I think the explosion is more for those who don’t play; from the inside, it’s normal, nothing has changed. I’ve followed Clark and Paige Bueckers since I got here—they always were the best. Their last college years have been outstanding and now lots of people are watching. The fact that ESPN broadcasts us now is extra exposure, brings more people and audience. But for the athletes, what changed is just the desire to do what they do and learn it.
What ambitions do you have for this last year, both personally and for the team?
We have a completely new staff, and a new coach (Kelly Killion). They set an insane standard. I think it’s one of the hardest training camps I’ve had. The level, I won’t say it has doubled—it’s tripled. They told us: “Either you reach this level, or the door’s right there and say goodbye to your scholarship.” That’s the minimum for this year’s program. I see lots of energy, lots of commitment, lots of desire to improve from everyone. After last year’s season (ended 1-29), things can only get better. But making that leap isn’t easy: breaking a habit takes a lot, both mentally and physically. I’ve done tons of athletic work the past weeks: hours running, tons of shooting. It’s a young team—two seniors, four freshmen, six sophomores hardened by last year’s difficult season. I see a great culture, everyone cares about studying and playing. I’m so eager to play, just to play a real game. I wake up every day at 5:20 a.m. and I’m happy, I go running, lift weights, and then go on the court to practice anything. I’m happy to go and I feel myself improving every day—which is so hard, almost impossible. Normally, you notice improvement over the year or months, but I notice something new every day and it gives me a new level of confidence and self-esteem; you play free, without pressure. Coaches trust you and it’s wonderful. So I can’t wait for the season to start.
Is there a sense of community among you Italian players in America? Do you keep in touch?
It’s a beautiful relationship. I keep in touch with Vittoria Blasigh, Eleonora Villa. I call Laura Toffali, Promise Keshi. Two years ago for spring break, Laura and I saw each other—we spent five days in Miami. I should visit Vittoria in Miami this year. We’re more or less on the same time zone, maybe an hour or two apart, but I feel closer to them than my family, even if Villa is an eight-hour flight away. But we have the same schedule, we understand each other and talk. For example, after the first week of practice, I wrote Eleonora “I can’t feel my legs” and she replied, confirming it. So it’s great, it’s also nice to get messages from new arrivals, to give advice. For example, Emma Zuccon at Albany will find one of my old coaches, now an assistant there. Many young players have taken this opportunity, and that’s great. This summer was full of satisfaction with youth medals and the senior medal, where we nearly played for gold. Coach Capobianco did an exceptional job—just missed it.
Let’s say it’s August 2026, exactly one year from now, and we’re meeting again for an interview. What would have to happen for you to be happy, and, above all, where will you be?
Well, I’d definitely be happy if we won our conference and at least reached the first round of March Madness. If I graduated at the top of my class, or nearly so, in my two degrees with their specializations. If, at the end of the year, my coaches tell me, “Good job, Anna.” And, honestly, I’d be especially happy if these two terrible wars in Palestine and Ukraine finally end. But in September next year, I don’t know where I’ll be. I’ll be in Europe, but whether I go directly to Italy, or make a pit stop somewhere else, I can’t say. I have to be honest: I’d really love to return to Italy because my dream is to play there as soon as possible, as soon as I can, as soon as I’m able—and to wear the Blue jersey again because I’ve had some bad luck. After we came fifth at the U16 Europeans, we qualified for Worlds but Covid cancelled them. Then with the U18, I hurt my knee, and with the U20, I hurt the other knee. So my dream is to return soon to wear the Italian jersey again and playing in Italy would help, because I’d challenge myself with the Italian system after these four years abroad. But I’m not ruling anything out