Kitija Laksa signs two-year deal with Schio, continues career in Italy
Latvian basketball star Kitija Laksa has signed a two-year contract with Famila Schio in Italy's Serie A, marking her fourth season with the club.
Kitija Laksa, the leading player of the Latvian women's national basketball team, will continue her career in Italy after signing a two-year contract with Famila Schio. The 30-year-old forward will play her fourth overall season with the team and her third consecutive one.
Laksa has already achieved significant success with Schio. In the 2021/2022 season, she earned three MVP awards – in the Serie A finals, the Italian Cup, and the Italian Supercup. Before moving to the WNBA, she won the Italian championship with the team and was named finals MVP. In total, she has three Italian league titles.
Last season, Laksa made her WNBA debut with the Phoenix Mercury. In 33 games, she averaged 5.9 points and 1.2 rebounds in 19 minutes per game, shooting 31.7% from three-point range. She became a WNBA runner-up with the Mercury. This year, she was selected by the Toronto Tempo in the WNBA expansion draft, but the team released her the day before the season started.
Returning to Europe, Laksa played for Schio in the FIBA EuroLeague, averaging 8 points, 1.2 rebounds, and 1.7 assists in 12 games. Earlier in her career, she won the EuroLeague title with Fenerbahce Istanbul and has also played for TTT Rīga, Kayseri in Turkey, and Virtus Bologna. In the NCAA, she played for the University of South Florida and was inducted into its athletic hall of fame.
