Lorela Cubaj Bio
Lorela Cubaj is an Italian professional basketball player who competes for the Atlanta Dream of the Women’s National Basketball Association (WNBA) and for Umana Reyer Venezia of the Lega Basket Femminile in Italy. A 6-foot-4 forward known for her defensive presence and rebounding, she has built a career that spans top-level Italian basketball, Atlantic Coast Conference college play, and the WNBA. She won a Lega Basket Femminile championship in 2024 with Umana Reyer Venezia, cementing her reputation as one of Italy’s most reliable frontcourt players.
Born in Terni, Italy, Cubaj began her professional career as a teenager with Umana Reyer Venezia before moving to the United States to play college basketball at Georgia Tech. After being selected in the 2022 WNBA draft, she returned to Italy and helped Venezia reclaim the Italian league title, while also establishing a steady role with the Atlanta Dream in the WNBA.
Early Life and Background
Lorela Cubaj was born on January 8, 1999, in Terni, Italy, and grew up in the nearby Veneto region. She attended Istituto Paritario Giuseppe Parini in Mestre, Italy, where she balanced her studies with a rapidly developing basketball career. Standing 6-foot-4 from a young age, she stood out in youth competitions and caught the attention of Italian club scouts early in her teenage years.
She started playing basketball when she was eight, and the sport quickly became central to her daily life. Her size and instincts on the boards made her a natural fit for the forward position, and she advanced through Italian youth development programs that prepared her for senior-level competition. By her mid-teens, she was already training and playing alongside experienced professionals.
Path to Basketball
Cubaj’s rise through Italian basketball began with Umana Reyer Venezia, where she joined the senior setup in 2015 and gained valuable experience against older opponents. She contributed to the club’s run to the Italian U18 championship in the 2016–17 season, a result that reinforced her status as one of the top young prospects in the country. Playing for a storied Italian club also exposed her to high-level coaching and a demanding schedule.
That development set the stage for her move to the United States. In the summer of 2017, Cubaj signed with Georgia Tech to play college basketball in the Atlantic Coast Conference. The decision to leave professional play for the NCAA was a strategic step that allowed her to refine her game, gain exposure to American-style basketball, and prepare for an eventual professional career on both sides of the Atlantic.
Lorela Cubaj Career
Early Career (2015–2017)
Cubaj made her senior debut with Umana Reyer Venezia in 2015, becoming one of the youngest players in the Lega Basket Femminile. Competing against established professionals as a teenager required a steep learning curve, but she responded with steady rebounding and growing defensive awareness. She won the Italian U18 championship with Venezia in the 2016–17 season, an early career highlight that foreshadowed her long-term role with the club.
Her time in the Italian system gave her a strong tactical foundation. She learned to play within a structured team concept, value positioning over raw scoring, and adapt to different styles across European competition. Those lessons shaped the player who would later thrive in both the NCAA and the WNBA.
Georgia Tech Breakthrough (2017–2022)
Cubaj enrolled at Georgia Tech in 2017 and immediately became a key frontcourt piece for the Yellow Jackets. Over five seasons in the Atlantic Coast Conference, she developed into one of the conference’s most respected defenders and rebounders. Her work on the glass and her ability to guard multiple positions helped anchor Georgia Tech during one of the program’s most successful stretches in recent memory.
She helped lead Georgia Tech to the NCAA Tournament Sweet Sixteen in 2021, where the Yellow Jackets were eliminated by South Carolina. In that matchup, Cubaj scored 15 points and grabbed 7 rebounds, providing one of the defining performances of her college career. Across her final two seasons, she earned back-to-back First-team All-ACC honors and was named ACC Defensive Player of the Year in both 2021 and 2022, while also landing on the ACC All-Defensive Team in each of those years.
WNBA Debut and Atlanta Dream Era (2022–Present)
On April 11, 2022, Cubaj was selected 18th overall in the second round of the 2022 WNBA draft by the Seattle Storm, who immediately traded her draft rights to the New York Liberty. She played 11 games for the Liberty during her rookie season before being waived on July 1, 2022. The brief stint still gave her valuable WNBA experience and helped her adjust to the pace and physicality of the league.
Cubaj later signed with the Atlanta Dream, where she has continued to carve out a role as a defensive forward and rebounder. Her combination of size, timing, and basketball IQ has made her a reliable contributor off the bench and in spot-start duties. She continues to represent the Dream while also maintaining her commitment to Umana Reyer Venezia in Italy.
Driving Style and Strengths
Cubaj’s game is built on physicality, positioning, and a high basketball IQ. She excels on the defensive end as a rim protector and rebounder, uses her 6-foot-4 frame effectively in the post, and shows a willingness to set hard screens and do the unglamorous work that coaches value. Her ability to switch defensively and read the game has been central to her success at every level.
Notable Events and Milestones
Among her signature accomplishments are her 2021 NCAA Tournament Sweet Sixteen run with Georgia Tech, her two ACC Defensive Player of the Year awards, and her 2024 Lega Basket Femminile championship with Umana Reyer Venezia. Her selection in the 2022 WNBA draft and her ongoing role with the Atlanta Dream further underline the breadth of a career that bridges Italian and American basketball.
Lorela Cubaj Career Wins
Cubaj’s career win resume spans club championships, conference awards, and international youth medals. Her most celebrated club result came in 2024, when she helped Umana Reyer Venezia capture the Lega Basket Femminile title. She has also collected individual recognition in the form of multiple All-ACC selections and back-to-back ACC Defensive Player of the Year awards during her time at Georgia Tech.
Lega Basket Femminile Highlights
With Umana Reyer Venezia, Cubaj has been a steady contributor since her senior debut in 2015. Her 2024 Italian league championship stands as the crown jewel of her club career to date, rewarding years of patient development with the same organization that gave her her first professional opportunity. She has remained a central figure in Venezia’s rotation as the club has competed for titles in recent seasons.
Other Wins and Performances
At the youth international level, Cubaj won a bronze medal with Italy at the 2015 U16 European Championship in Portugal, where she averaged 11 points and 6.6 rebounds and was named to the tournament All-Star Five. One year later, she claimed silver at the 2016 U17 World Championship in Spain, with Italy losing the final to Australia, and she also represented Italy at the U18 European Championship in Hungary.
Lorela Cubaj Family
Family Background and Racing Lineage
Public information about Lorela Cubaj’s family background is limited. She was raised in the Terni and Veneto regions of Italy, where she began her basketball journey as a child.
Personal Life
Cubaj maintains an active presence on social media, including on Instagram, where she shares updates from her professional career in both the WNBA and the Lega Basket Femminile. She continues to live a peripatetic basketball life that takes her between Italy and the United States each season.
2025 Season Performance
Heading into the 2025 WNBA season, Cubaj is once again part of the Atlanta Dream roster, where she is expected to provide defensive energy, rebounding, and veteran poise in the frontcourt. Her role with Umana Reyer Venezia also continues in parallel, and she is expected to be a key piece for the Italian club as it defends its 2024 Lega Basket Femminile title. The dual schedule demands careful management, but Cubaj has grown accustomed to balancing top-level competition on both sides of the Atlantic.
Internationally, Cubaj is scheduled to represent Italy at EuroBasket Women 2025 in Greece, another milestone in a senior national-team career that began with youth medals in 2015 and 2016. Her experience in high-pressure games, from NCAA Tournament runs to European finals, makes her a reliable option for the Azzurre.
With momentum from a championship in Italy and a defined role in Atlanta, the 2025 campaign offers Cubaj the chance to build on her strongest professional season yet. Continued health, consistency, and strong contributions on the defensive end could push her into an expanded role with the Dream and further elevate her standing in European competition.