ZARAGOZA (2016 FIBA U17 Women’s World Championship) - With her distinctive coloured hair and height under the basket, it's hard to miss Valeria Trucco at the 2016 FIBA U17 Women’s World Championship.

However, it isn't just her hairstyle that is turning heads in Zaragoza. It's also because she is perhaps the most critical member of an Italian team which is turning more than one historical page.

Coach Lucchesi told us that if we reached the Semi-Finals, his beard would be cut and removed. But now that I'm thinking about it, we might suggest he colours his beard blue! - Trucco.

While much focus has been on the twin towers of Sara Madera and Lorela Cubaj, it is Trucco who makes-up Italy's genuinely high quality and all-important three player rotation in the paint. It is one which has proven the main ingredient in taking them to the Quarter-Finals for the first time and now, a maiden appearance in the Semi-Finals.

"I decided to colour my hair about two months ago and I didn't do it especially for the games. I did it only because I wanted a change, but maybe the next colour will be blue like our uniforms - just to remember this amazing tournament," said Trucco in the wake of her team just edging out Canada for a ground-breaking Last Four match-up against China on Friday.

"Zaragoza is a fantastic experience for us because this championship was always the principal target last year and now that we have reached the Semi-Finals we are even more determined than before to give our best.

"Canada are a really good team and in the last minutes of the Quarter-Final game, the pressure grew for all the players and especially for those who were on the bench. The last six seconds seemed to take hours and when the buzzer of the end of the match rang out, we all felt better and found ourselves screaming and crying with happiness.

"I think that the game against China will be very hard because like the other Asian teams, they play a different type of basketball than ours. We will do our best and I hope that our best is better than theirs. We will be very careful in defense, because as Coach Lucchesi always remind us, easier offense comes from better defense."

Trucco's impressive ability to play with both Madera and Cubaj when coming off the bench is again likely to be pivotal and she certainly understands and executes her role brilliantly.

"I think that Sara and Lorela are really important for the team. Sara makes a lot of movements in the paint and Lorela too," she said. "I trust them when they have the ball and whenever I'm on the court with them, I try to help them by giving them space in their area for any one-on-one opportunities and give them the passing lines."

Finally, Trucco revealed that she may not be the only person in the Italian camp standing out for more than just basketball reasons.

"Coach Lucchesi told us that if we reached the Semi-Finals, his beard would be cut and removed," she laughed. "But now that I'm thinking about it, we might suggest he colours his beard blue!"

FIBA