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Zilbershlag, Israel embrace challenge at U18 Euros

MAYA ZILBERSHLAG and the Israel Under-18 Women's National Team have high hopes despite a tough group at the European Championship in La Palma, Spain (photo credit: YEHUDA HALICKMAN) She's not just playing the game – she's chasing greatness. The Israel Under-18 Women's National Team opened its European Championship campaign on Saturday in La Palma, Spain, as coach Shira HaElion's squad looks to make a successful run in the annual event. Advertisement However, it won't be easy for the young blue-and-white, as it is in a group with one of the strongest teams in the competition – France – along with Serbia and Montenegro in Group A play. The blue-and-white opened on Saturday with a 78-53 loss to France and took on Montenegro on Sunday. HaElion does have a number of promising up-and-coming players, including Maya Zilbershlag, who has been listed on FIBA's website as one of the '10 Players to Watch' and led Israel with 16 points in the loss to France. Just ahead of the tournament, the team's star guard spoke to The Jerusalem Post about a number of topics, including the team's goals for the competition. 'From a team perspective, to go as far as possible,' Zilbershlag began. 'We have to believe in ourselves and that we are very capable of beating any team on a given day and do the best we can. From a personal perspective, I will try to help the team as much as possible and give my all for us to succeed.' Advertisement As for what she's excited about, Zilbershlag explained that it's the opportunity to play with teammates she has been on the court with for many, many years. 'I'm looking forward to playing with many of my teammates, as we have played together for many years – from May Bayko, May Elmaliach, and Lee Teichman to Mika Yanay and Noa Maged – all of them. I'm so excited.' Pushing to be better Zilbershlag began playing basketball at the tender age of three and followed in the footsteps of her brothers. She played professional ball this past season at just 16 years old for Hapoel Kfar Saba. 'It was a challenging season, both as a team and for me personally,' Zilbershlag explained. 'Playing at Kfar Saba helped me a lot to develop and build a different and stronger mentality. Playing with older players also has a positive effect on younger players. Advertisement As for next season, my goals are to continue progressing and see my game develop while playing on a better team where I can get significant minutes and really grow. However, I still haven't signed with a team yet, so we shall see.' Zilbershlag had the opportunity to showcase her skills abroad when she participated in the Exodus Europe Camp, which featured many of the top young talents from around the continent. 'It was a nice experience. It's a totally different world and different from the game in the US. I think it was important that I had the chance to take part in this type of camp and see how others view the game. The game is different, and the people are different. Seeing more players and other players while getting to know them was important and fun at the same time.' High school championships are always great to win – and that's exactly what Zilbershlag did at Rabin Kfar Saba. Advertisement 'The high school championship made history, and I'm really proud of all the girls. I'm proud that we managed to win it as a team that has played together for many years. The one great thing about playing at Rabin was that the school helps with our studies and is also very considerate of our schedules, so it's much easier to integrate the two when the school is very supportive in this matter.' Last year, the Israel Under-16 team had a strong run that earned Zilbershlag rave reviews, including being listed on FIBA's website as one of the '10 Players to Watch' for the upcoming Under-18 European Championship. At last year's event, Zilbershlag averaged a stunning 18.9 points and 8.3 rebounds per game. The FIBA website described her as 'a physically strong and dominant guard. She could be the one to inspire Israel to success and is being touted to soon make a transition to senior action after also shining in the Israeli League.' Zilbershlag also reflected on the Under-16 EuroBasket: Advertisement 'I think it's amazing to see the young women who put us on the map last year and managed to reach such an insane achievement. It was nice to be able to represent the country and really play well as a team. I think anything that can be done to help the team win is especially important to us in this situation.' As for the women's game, the 17-year-old believes it is growing in Israel – but more can certainly be done to help it reach the next level. 'I think it's amazing to see how women's basketball is developing around the world, and I believe that in Israel it's also slowly developing. But we need to give it another push, because it's no less important.' Zilbershlag was short, sweet, and to the point when asked about her ultimate goal: 'Reaching the WNBA.' She's not just playing the game – she's chasing greatness.