Caterina Mattera and the Azzurri summer of 3×3: Italy relaunches in Vienna after the European qualifiers
After the adventure at the Europe Cup Qualifier 2025, the Italian Women's National Open 3×3 is ready to relaunch itself on the international circuit. Among the protagonists is Caterina Mattera, born in 2001, originally from Panza (Ischia) and currently playing for Vicenza Basket. A solid player, with several experiences in the FIP youth selections behind her, Mattera was confirmed in the group selected by coach Angela Adamoli to face one of the most intense summers on the international 3×3 scene.
The Italian team The Italian team, together with Caterina Mattera, was made up of Raelin Marie D'Alie (1987), a highly experienced athlete playing for San Martino di Lupari, Sofia Frustaci (2001) from Alpo Basket, Carlotta Gianolla (1997) from Libertas Basket School Udine, Elisa Pinzan (1999) who plays for Slavia Banska Bystrica in Slovakia and Ludovica Angela Daniela Sammartino (2005), a young prospect from Libertas Moncalieri. The group was led by Angela Adamoli, a historic figure in Italian 3×3, while the head of the 3×3 national team sector was Stefano Mancinelli.
The road to the Europe Cup Qualifiers After the gathering at the Acqua Acetosa CPO and the friendlies played in Zagreb, Italy reached Kosice, where they faced a complicated group against Israel, Lithuania, Slovenia and Great Britain. The debut was positive, with a 15-10 victory against Israel. However, in the next three games, the Azzurre gave way to Lithuania, Slovenia and finally Great Britain, thus being eliminated from the race for direct qualification to the final phase of the European Championship. Mattera left his mark in all the games, with a concrete and consistent performance: he scored 1 point against Israel, 4 in the match with Lithuania, 3 against Slovenia and 1 more in the match with Great Britain. His ability to provide balance on the pitch, especially in the defensive phase and in the internal game, represented a point of reference for the Azzurri system.
Next stop: Women's Series Vienna Stop With the Slovakian stop over, Italy is now preparing for the FIBA 3×3 Women's Series – Vienna Stop, scheduled for June 12-14. The Azzurre have been placed in Group A, where they will face two top-tier opponents: the Netherlands, the leading team in the seasonal circuit and winner of two stages, and the Madrid team. For Italy, who have already reached the quarterfinals twice this season, Vienna represents a key opportunity to confirm their position and attempt to make the leap to the final stages.
A summer still long The international calendar of the Azzurre does not stop in Vienna. On June 23, Italy will face Madagascar and China, while on the 25th it will be the turn of Australia and Poland. These are challenges of great technical value, essential to accumulate useful points in the FIBA ranking and continue the growth path of the Azzurri group in view of the upcoming continental and world commitments.
An island that dreams with her Beyond the statistics and results, the story of Caterina Mattera continues to excite. Daughter of Maria D'Abundo, president of Cestistica Ischia, and Peppe Mattera, "the shipowner", Caterina is the symbol of a strong bond with her roots. The community of Panza and the entire island of Ischia follow her with pride, demonstrating that behind every basket there is a story of passion, sacrifice and support. With her head already turned to the next commitments, Caterina Mattera is ready to defend the blue colors once again. Concretely, in silence, but with the determination of someone who knows that representing Italy is an honor and a responsibility. And that from an island you can get anywhere.
Il Dispari
