INTERVIEW – Turkish basketball player Elif Istanbulluoglu aims to take US experience to World Cup

• ‘If they had told me I would go to the World Cup at 21, it would have been difficult to imagine. I am very excited,’ she tells Anadolu
• Türkiye aims to advance from tough Group C in best possible position, she says

Türkiye women’s national basketball player Elif Istanbulluoglu hopes to bring the pace and physicality she has experienced in the United States to the FIBA Women’s Basketball World Cup in Germany next month.

The 21-year-old, who plays college basketball at the University of Louisville, is preparing for her first senior World Cup as Türkiye gets ready for the tournament in Berlin from Sept. 4-13.

In an interview with Anadolu, Istanbulluoglu discussed the national team’s preparations, her experience in the US, her WNBA ambitions, Türkiye’s Group C opponents and her excitement about making her World Cup debut.

She said the atmosphere at the national team camp has been positive, with players building strong chemistry on and off the court.

“The atmosphere is good. Everyone has positive energy. Everyone’s face is smiling on the court. We are in very good conditions,” she said.

“We know what we want to achieve, so we are trying to get better every day with solid steps.”

‘Hopefully, my US experience will show at the World Cup’

Istanbulluoglu said playing college basketball in the US from a young age had helped her adapt to the physical demands of the game.

“College basketball is of course a little different from European basketball. I think going there at a young age got me used to the toughness,” she said.

She described the pace of basketball in the US as “very high” and said her experience at Louisville, a nationally ranked program, could benefit her at the World Cup.

“Hopefully, the experience I gained in the US will be reflected at the World Cup. I will try to show the toughness I gained there while representing my country,” she said.

‘I want to represent Türkiye in the WNBA’

Istanbulluoglu also has ambitions of playing in the WNBA, the top professional women’s basketball league in the US.

She said watching players she competed alongside in college go on to succeed in the WNBA had helped shape her own ambitions.

“People I played with two years ago are now achieving incredible success in the WNBA. This shows me where I want to go,” she said.

“It also helps me dream of representing Türkiye in a place like the WNBA.”

‘It was difficult to imagine going to the World Cup at 21’

The upcoming tournament will mark Istanbulluoglu’s first World Cup with the senior national team after representing Türkiye at the youth level.

“If they had told me, ‘You will go to the World Cup at 21,’ honestly, it would have been a little difficult to imagine,” she said.

“But I don’t like putting limits on dreams. It would be a lie to say I’m not excited. I am very excited.”

She recalled watching World Cups and European championships as a child and said representing Türkiye on such a major stage at 21 was particularly meaningful.

‘We can show a stronger Türkiye at the World Cup’

Istanbulluoglu said Türkiye’s energy, character and fighting spirit were among the team’s biggest strengths.

“Our biggest strengths are our energy, spirit, character and the fight we put up,” she said.

She added that the team hopes to improve on the level it showed during qualifying in March.

“We could see Türkiye at a higher level at the World Cup than the Türkiye we saw in the qualifiers in March,” she said.

‘We have to win against Puerto Rico’

Türkiye will play Belgium, Australia and Puerto Rico in Group C.

Istanbulluoglu acknowledged the difficulty of the group, pointing to Belgium and Australia as established teams with major international achievements.

But she said Türkiye would approach every game with the same determination.

“I see the Puerto Rico game as a game we absolutely have to win,” she said.

“However, that does not change the effort we will put into the Belgium or Australia games. We want to come out of this group in the best possible position and face a better team in the crossover round.”

‘Turkish fans can create an atmosphere like Türkiye’

Istanbulluoglu said playing in Berlin could give Türkiye an advantage because of the large Turkish community in the German capital.

“Being able to play in Berlin will be a great opportunity for us. We have a lot of Turkish fans there,” she said.

“Seeing them there will be very exciting for me. I think having Turkish fans in Berlin will create an atmosphere like Türkiye for us.”

She thanked fans supporting the team both in the arena and from home.

“I would like to thank everyone who supports us both from their televisions and from the stands.”