Winning a lot of Latvian basketball championships, playing EuroLeague and being part of the national team of Latvia. Luīze Sila has accomplished a lot already during her basketball career. She is an amazing talent, with a lot of potential! Photo: FIBA Europe

1.  Let’s introduce yourself, who are you?

“My name is Luīze Sila, I am 19 years old and I play basketball at TTT Riga.”

2.  How did you start playing basketball?

“I was like five years old, and I watched my mom playing basketball games. She told me a lot of stories and adventures about the team. Somehow everything happened from that moment.”

3.  How much do you differ with your mother when we talk about your style of playing basketball?

“My coach said that me and my mom are totally different players, for the fact that I may be pretty athletic, while my mom was physically strong as a power forward.”

4.  You played a lot of years at Riga/3.BJSS. How would you describe that organization?

“Riga/3.BJSS is a hard working organization I would say. At that time, it was one of the organizations that thought us to play more physical. They worked specifically on detail and how to get effectively stronger.”

5. You won a lot of championship when you were young. One of them is the under 15 championship in 2019 where you also became the MVP of the finals. How was that moment for you?

“That championship in 2019 with the under 15 team was one of my best experiences. The chemistry in the team was a lot better, and the communication on the court was amazing! Those games were incredible, and I will never forget that. The way we felt each other on the court was of a different kind of level!”

6.  You also played for the first time in the highest league of Latvia with Jurmala. How was that moment?

“We were a pretty young team. During the game I explored how to play with more experienced players. I enjoyed those first moments, which were really interesting.”

7.  Later on you moved to TTT Riga, where you have also played in the EuroLeague. How was playing in the EuroLeague for the first time for you?

“was a very special moment! Playing on the EuroLeague is such a different style of playing, and I am really grateful for an opportunity like that! I always wanted to explore that kind of level of basketball in Europe, and all the emotions we had in the team. We also won the Baltic Championship: a competition with teams all over Lithuania, Latvia and Estonia. In short, TTT Riga was a whole new world for me!”

8. Last year you went to Spain to play for Celta Zorka. Playing basketball outside of Latvia, how was that for you?

“For me it was pretty hard. I really love the city and the team, but it was pretty hard. I also learned a lot of that. Right now I play with TTT Riga again. I hope to make a lot of beautiful memories!”

9. What can you remember about the first time you played for the national youth team of Latvia?

“It was a really cool experience, with one of my best friend: Enija Vīksne. We had a lot of fun, and the team was really fun! Enija and I played in every national youth team, and we are also good friends outside of the court. In 2019 we played with the under 16 team in Skopje. It was like a whole new basketball world for me, something new for me. Nevertheless, it was a good experience for me.”

10. Last summer the national under 20 team of Latvia reached the finals of the European Championship. What did that mean for you?