The Italian head coach of the star and crescent team that will compete in the FIBA 2026 Women's Basketball World Cup, which will be held in Berlin, the capital of Germany, between 4-13 September, answered the questions of the AA reporter about the preparation process, their goals in the tournament, the opponents in the group, the importance of rejoining the organization and the game plan.
Expressing his satisfaction with the working conditions offered to them by the Turkish Basketball Federation, Mazzon said, "We are really lucky in terms of the organization, the facilities, the hall and the opportunities the federation offers us. They provide everything we need. We can access the hall very easily and do everything we want to do easily. This is definitely a privilege. I feel very lucky about this, and I think the players should feel the same way." he said.
Underlining that they did not have any injury problems during the preparation period, the 60-year-old coach said, "Everything is going as planned. We did not have any problems and we have no injuries. This is the most important issue for me. The players are in good shape right now. They continue their work very seriously. They know what we are doing and what we aim for. We all have a common goal. We will go to the World Cup to win as many matches as possible." he opined.
"We must dream big"
Andrea Mazzon noted that they should dream big for the 2026 World Cup.
Pointing out the importance of a win in the group stage and subsequent cross-matches, Mazzon said:
"I think we should dream big. In the World Cup, as in European tournaments, it is very important which team from the other group you will be paired with in the following stages. But first, we need to win at least one match in the group. This is our first and most important goal. You do not know what will happen after we achieve this. Of course, we all know that if you face the USA in the cross-match, it will be a nightmare. They are a really difficult team and they show this in every tournament. Moreover, they will be here with the best players in the world. But can we beat other teams other than the USA? Can we do this already? "I can't say, but there is one thing I know and am sure of, we can compete with anyone, we are at a level that we can compete against every team and I believe we have a chance."
"We are aware that we are in a very difficult group"
Evaluating the National Women's Basketball Team's rivals in Group C, Belgium, Australia and Puerto Rico, Mazzon stated that a tough fight awaits them.
Emphasizing that Belgium is one of the most successful teams in European basketball in recent times, the Italian coach said, "When you come to the World Cup, you know that all teams are good. Of course, our group is not easy either. Belgium is one of the best teams in the history of European basketball. They have won almost every tournament they have participated in recently and they know very well how to become champions." he said.
Reminding that Australia won the bronze medal at the 2024 Olympic Games, Andrea Mazzon said, "Puerto Rico can recruit US and foreign players as usual. Therefore, we do not have a clear idea at the moment about what kind of squad they will come with. They may also come with 3-4 very important players, we do not know yet. We also saw during our participation in the World Cup that when you face big teams, you become better. We beat Canada in the qualifiers, we fought with Australia until the last ball and "We beat Japan and showed that we can beat the teams competing in the Olympic Games. Of course, it is very difficult to play in a tough group, but it is also a really big challenge. We love such challenges." made his assessment.
"I feel a greater responsibility"
Stating that Türkiye's participation in the World Cup again after 8 years in women's basketball means a lot to him, Andrea Mazzon said that coaching the national team of another country increases his responsibility.
Stating that he is proud to be the head coach of the star and crescent team, Mazzon said, "When you coach the national team of another country, you feel a greater responsibility. Because you represent the people who believe in you, and therefore you have to do your job even better. I am really proud of this. At the same time, I feel that I have to give more. It is great to be at the World Cup again after 8 years. We are all focused on a single goal. We all know very well what this goal is inside the locker room." he said.
"Our defense will carry us to the next round"
The Italian head coach emphasized that their defensive performance in the 2026 World Cup will be decisive.
Underlining that he sees the basketball they played in the qualifying process in March as an accurate reference for the World Cup, Andrea Mazzon said:
"I think the basketball we played here in March was exactly the right way. We were on the right track. As always in these types of tournaments, defense is what will take you to the next round. You can be very good on offense one day and worse the next. However, if you maintain your concentration and do the right things in defense, I believe it will take us to the second round. I am quite sure of this. Of course, you also need to produce points. However, if we have the right mentality and can improve our transition attack after good defense and successful stops, I think we will be in a good situation."
