Cecilia Zandalasini, a legend, wins her second Wnba title

Cecilia Zandalasini once again enters the history of Italian basketball. The Italian player won the second Wnba title of her career, thanks to the victory of her Golden State Valkyries in game 7 of the Finals against the Atlanta Dream.

The Californian franchise prevailed 68-63 in front of the crowd at the Chase Center in San Francisco, at the end of a hard-fought and always open series and during which the Italian was an absolute protagonist.

First title for the Valkyries, a team born only two years ago but very determined to quickly establish itself at the top of Stars and Stripes basketball. For Cecilia this is an extraordinary result, as recalled by the president of the FIP, Gianni Petrucci: "You have arrived where no Italian has ever arrived. No one can boast two titles in an American professional championship", wrote the number one of the Federbasket to celebrate the feat of the Italian athlete.

And actually there are not many people, even outside Italy, who can boast multiple Wnba titles won with different teams. She celebrates with a story on social media where she relaunches the images of the Game 7 victory, the hug with her teammates and the cup raised to the sky. The Italian winger born in Broni, in the province of Pavia, adds a second Wnba title to her personal trophy case, after the one she won in 2017 when she was a rookie wearing the Minnesota Lynx shirt.

Nine years after her first success, the Italian repeated herself in a championship which in recent years has further increased the technical, athletic and competitive level. And revenues, investments and salaries are also starting to be very high.

In game 7, Zandalasini's contribution was limited to two points, with 1 of 5 shots in 6 minutes on the court, but the overall numbers in the Finals speak of 19 minutes and 8.5 points on average per game. Furthermore, some shots were decisive for the Valkyries. The statistical data only partially explains the Italian's weight: Golden State also bet on the Italian to create a team capable of immediately winning the title.

And so he was able to count on his international experience, the ability to play multiple roles and his clarity in decisive moments. The same one that 'Ceci' had with the shirt of the Italian national team, of which he is the indisputable driving force.

The victory takes on a particular value for Italian basketball. For years, Zandalasini has represented the flagship of the Italian movement and one of the few European players capable of carving out a stable space in the top North American women's professional league.

In his palmares there are also two championships and three national cups with the Fenerbahce uniform in Türkiye; and the Italian Super Cup won with Virtus Bologna in 2023. Her contribution to Italy deserves a separate chapter: thanks to the historic bronze won at Eurobasket 2025 under her guidance, the Italian women's basketball movement is on the rise.

The winning image of women's Italian basketball achieved exceptional ratings on TV. 'Zanda', as her teammates call her, is also paving the way for other blue stars: they could soon assert themselves in the Wnba: Costanza Verona, linked to the Dallas Wings with a development contract, and Matilde Villa, under contract with the Atlanta Dream. And Zandalasini is there waiting for them with the title of reigning champion.