Feb. 9, 2018
By Zac Ellis
VUCommodores.com
NASHVILLE, Tenn. – Mariella Fasoula transferred to Vanderbilt last summer, which means she has been redshirting the 2017-18 season with the Commodores’ women’s basketball team. But Fasoula, a native of Athens, Greece, will soon return to the court – this time with a bit of international flavor.
This week, Fasoula suits up for Greece in the second of three qualifying rounds for the FIBA Women’s EuroBasket 2019. The qualifiers pit a total of 32 teams for a chance at 14 spots in the FIBA Women’s EuroBasket 2019 Final Round. Fasoula, who was unable to play in the first round of qualifying last November, will travel to Tel Aviv, Israel this Saturday for a matchup between Greece and Israel.
That game will be Fasoula’s eighth time competing for the Greek Women’s National Team and her third stint with the senior team. She has not played a true game since last June, when the Greek senior team played in the FIBA 2017 EuroBasket in Prague.
Fasoula, who answers to “Fas” around her Commodore teammates, said she is excited to hit the court again.
“I miss playing and being on the floor in a game situation,” Fasoula said. “I’m excited for that, but I am also honored to go back and represent Greece.”
Fasoula transferred to Vanderbilt last summer from Boston College, where she had developed into one of the best post players in the Atlantic Coast Conference. She started 55 games over two seasons, leading the Eagles in scoring (16 points per game) and rebounds (7.5 per game) as a sophomore in 2016-17. The previous season, Fasoula was named to the ACC’s All-Freshman team after averaging 13.5 points and 5.4 rebounds in 2015-16.
We’re sending our Greek goddess home for a few weeks so she can help her national team qualify for Worlds! Good luck Fas!!! #DoWork #AnchorDown pic.twitter.com/gUrZJRQp5S
 Vanderbilt WBB (@VandyWBB) January 31, 2018
At Vanderbilt, Fasoula has acclimated to a “player-coach” role as a redshirt. But the seasoned veteran said she enjoys the view from the bench.
“I’ve learned a lot by sitting out this year, and I didn’t expect to learn this much,” Fasoula said. “You get a whole new perspective from the bench — what’s wrong, what you need to do better, what the team looks like, its chemistry, etc. I’m just trying to help out as much as I can on scout team and keep a positive outlook on next year.”
Vanderbilt head coach Stephanie White said Fasoula’s international experience will only improve her college game — and beyond.
“Fas has goals that some our players don’t have, in terms of playing,” White said. “Playing in the Olympics, playing professionally, playing in the WNBA. She has to take every opportunity to always be the best and most dominant player on the floor. That’s one of the things we’ve challenged her with.”
International experience runs in the Fasoula bloodline. Fasoula’s father, Panagiotis, also played for the Greek National team and remains one of the best big men in European basketball history. The seven-foot Panagiotis Fasoula played at NC State under legendary head coach Jim Valvano and was chosen by the Portland Trailblazers in the 1986 NBA Draft.
Now the younger Fasoula gets to return to the international stage and represent Greece once again. That’s an opportunity that will only bolster her Vanderbilt career, Fasoula said.
“It means a lot, especially since this is the senior national team,” Fasoula said. “I’ve been on the younger teams for Greece the past couple of years. This means a lot to me to go out and play with professional athletes. I learn and grow with them everyday.”
Zac Ellis is the Writer and Digital Media Editor for Vanderbilt Athletics.