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Basketball Leads Eleonora Villa to an Unlikely Home in the Palouse

Growing up in Lissone, Italy, a town about 15 miles north of Milan, Eleonora Villa didn't have aspirations of coming to the United States for basketball.

Now, she is in a situation she never could have expected – being one of the faces of the Washington State Women's Basketball program.

Basketball has been a part of Villa's life since a young age. With her dad, brother and twin sister all playing basketball, it came as no surprise Villa grew attached to competing and getting better at the sport.

"Every weekend it was always someone's game, and every conversation was always about basketball," Villa said.