Israeli hooper Maya Zilbershlag sets her sight on WNBA ahead of 2026 Class college recruitment

Israeli basketball star Maya Zilbershlag is hoping to take college visits this summer, but her long-term goal is to play in the WNBA.

Zilbershlag plays professionally in Israel, but the teenager intends to move to America and play college basketball ahead of a potential WNBA career.

The 5-foot-10 combo guard, who plays for Hapoel Kfar Saba in Israel-Division A, said in an interview with On3.

“I started to take basketball seriously and it’s always been my dream to go to the WNBA. I think college is a really great way to improve my game and to develop and to learn basketball in the United States,” Zilnbershlag said in the interview.

While Zilnbershlag’s decision to leave a professional basketball league for college basketball may seem strange for the average fan, it’s the fastest route to realizing her dream of playing in the WNBA.

College basketball offers more than just a route to the WNBA, as it also provides unique opportunities for some of these athletes to diversify their talents.

Also, as the WNBA is where the best talents play, Zilnbershlag could get acquainted with basketball in the States by playing college basketball before moving to the WNBA.

“The most important thing is a place where I can really develop my game and improve my game,” Zilbershlag continued.

“That’s the most important for me, and I especially want to get to the WNBA. That is the dream, so the place that can help me get there and to be at my best,” the highly rated teenager added.

Maya Zilbershlag’s game improving as she could follow Nika Muhl’s footsteps

While she’s hoping to improve on her game when she moves to the US, Zilbershlag is already looking like a top prospect.

In the 2024 FIBA U16 Women’s EuroBasket, Zilbershlag averaged 18.9 points, 8.3 rebounds and 3.0 assists per game. This season, the 5-foot-10 combo guard is averaging 8.3 points and shooting 41% from the field.

Meanwhile, if she’s able to transfer successfully to college and then the WNBA, Zilbershlag will be following in the footsteps of Nika Muhl, who successfully moved from Europe to the WNBA.

Like Zilbershlag, Muhl was also a professional basketball star, playing in the Croatian Prva Zenska Liga, from 2016 to 2020 before receiving scholarship offers from colleges in the States, including Oregon, Ohio State, Louisville and South Florida.

She chose the University of Connecticut (UConn), going on to play four seasons [2020-2024] with the Wildcats before she was drafted by the Seatle Storm as the 14th overall pick in the 2024 WNBA draft.

Edited by Bhargav