Louisville Women’s Basketball Adds Turkish Center Elif Istanbulluoglu

Istanbulluoglu averaged 10.7 points, 6.4 rebounds and 1.3 assists per game for Turkey at the FIBA U20 Women’s European Championship.

Press Release from the University of Louisville:

LOUISVILLE, Ky. - Head coach Jeff Walz has announced the addition of center Elif Istanbulluoglu (Eh-lif ee-stahn-BOO-low-gloo) to the Cardinals on Friday. Elif is a 6-3 forward and she is originally from Istanbul, Turkey. 

“We are thrilled to announce the addition of Elif Istanbulluoglu to our 23-24 roster,” said Walz. “Elif is a member of the U18 and U20 Turkish National Teams. She averaged double figures in scoring in the most recent European Championships and played 3 games with the Senior National Team. Having Elif solidifies our front line. She is a dual threat with her ability to score inside and out. She will also bring a sense of toughness and passion to our team that will energize the fan base.”

Elif played with Turkey at the 2023 FIBA U18 and U20 Women’s European Championship this summer. At the U18 Championship, Elif helped Turkey advance to the quarterfinals of the European Championship and they finished in sixth place. She averaged 11.0 points and 10.7 rebounds per game, which was second on the team in scoring and she led the team in rebounds. At the U20 Championship, Turkey finished eighth overall. Elif averaged 10.7 points, 6.4 rebounds and 1.3 assists during the tournament. She was second on the team in rebounds and was third in points and assists per game.

While in her prep career in Turkey, Elif most recently played with Fenerbahçe S.K. She played in four games for Fenerbahçe during the FIBA EuroLeague season. Fenerbahçe won the EuroLeague for the first time in team history this past season.

“Basketball is in her blood as her older sister, Sevval, played collegiately at Siena and both of her parents were members of their respective Turkish National Basketball Teams,” stated Walz.

Sevval was a four-year player during her time at Siena. She played in 35 career games and made two starts during her senior season. Her parents, Serkan and Asli, also played basketball professionally in Turkey.

Elif joins the Cards, who are gearing up for the upcoming 2023-24 season. The Cards recently released their non-conference schedule and will open the season at Cincinnati on November 6. The home opener will be later that week against DePaul on November 12. Fans can still purchase season tickets for the upcoming season. All season ticket info can be found here.

(Photo of Elif Istanbulluoglu via University of Louisville Athletics)

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