RAFFAELLA MASCIADRI
In this episode of Unguarded, host Jori Davis sits down with Raffaella Masciadri, one of the most decorated athletes in Italian basketball history. Over two decades on the court, Raffaella collected fifteen Italian titles, captained Famila Basket Schio for nine years, was named Player of the Decade for 2000–2010, and earned 203 caps with the Italian national team. She also spent three seasons in the WNBA with the LA Sparks, leaving home to rebuild in an unfamiliar system, far from everything she knew. Her story doesn't end at retirement. Raffaella earned a law degree and a master's in Leadership and Management, joined the board of GIBA, the Italian players' association, and served eight years as President of the CONI athletes' commission, where she pushed for the things no one hands players by default: a maternity fund for female athletes, dual-career pathways, career preparation, and player wellbeing. Today she's Team Manager of Juventus's women's first team and studying toward her sporting director license. Few people have sat on both sides of the table the way she has. The conversation moves between the two lives. Raffaella reflects on what it costs to leave your country and adapt to a new culture, the transition from player to management, and why athletes belong in leadership rather than only on the roster. She speaks openly about maternity rights and the support systems most players never see, the talent exodus from Europe to America and what it does to the players who stay, and where FIBA and the wider system still fall short on protection. She also talks about athlete branding, identity beyond the game, and building a career that outlasts the playing years. Honest, grounded, and shaped by a rare view from both the locker room and the front office, this episode is essential listening for anyone navigating leadership, transition, or the long question of what comes after the game.