Tjaša Turnšek has the talent to make a team feel stronger every time they step onto the court. Her basketball journey has already taken her from Rogaška Slatina to Lithuania, to European glory with the national team of Slovenia and now to Iowa State in the United States. She believes that trust, connection and continuous growth create the strongest foundation for success. There is a quiet confidence in the way Tjaša approaches basketball. Coaches, teammates and family are woven into every chapter of her story. That perspective has allowed her to flourish individually while helping everyone around her become stronger as well. Photo: FIBA Basketball

Where everything began

Basketball has been part of Tjaša's life for as long as she can remember. Growing up in Rogaška Slatina, she discovered the sport through the people closest to her. What started as childhood curiosity gradually developed into a lifelong passion. “I started because I'm in a family that does a lot of sports,” Tjaša says. “My mom used to play basketball, so because of her, I started to watch basketball. Then my brother started to play basketball. So, I just started also, and then I started to like it. And I just kept going, and now I'm still playing.”

Those first years were never about pressure or expectations. They were about enjoying movement, learning the basics and discovering what made basketball so much fun. “I just remember that we started with those kids' stuff, when you just run up and down, you go left and right and you just dribble the ball. Because I was very little.”

From those simple beginnings, she steadily progressed through the Slovenian youth system, always representing the club from her hometown, KD Janina. Loyalty became one of the defining characteristics of her development, as she spent more than a decade growing alongside many of the same teammates. Although basketball plays a central role in her life, her greatest sources of inspiration are found beyond statistics and highlights. Tjaša's motivation comes from people whose influence reaches far beyond the court. “My inspiration, I could say, is my dad. He pushes me a lot, even though he doesn't play basketball, but his mindset pushes me. My first coach also inspires me because he has a really high basketball IQ, and that inspires me.”

That combination of unconditional support at home and basketball knowledge from her first coach created an environment where talent could develop naturally. It also helped shape a player who never stops looking for ways to improve.

Big love for the game!

A team that became family

One of the most beautiful chapters of Tjaša's career was written with the teammates she grew up alongside in Slovenia. Winning the WABA League remains one of the memories she treasures most, because of the journey they shared together. “The first time winning the WABA League was really special because we had just entered the competition as a small-town club. Nobody knew us and nobody knew who we were. Then we just came and won everything. That is something that is still fresh in my mind. We grew a lot because all the time we were the same team. For ten years we were pretty much together. We had a really deep connection. We knew what someone would do before it happened. We even joke that we connect our minds because we don't have to talk to each other. We just know what we will do. We had a really big connection.”

That deep sense of togetherness reveals much about Tjaša herself. Basketball, in her eyes, is never only about executing plays. It is about relationships, believing in one another and creating something that cannot be built overnight.

Finding herself again in Lithuania

Leaving Slovenia for Lithuania marked the beginning of a completely different chapter. It was the first time she moved away from home, the first time she played for a senior team and the first time she had to adapt to a different language, culture and style of basketball. “It was very different. It was my first time playing for the senior team. Of course, it was difficult to get used to the new language and speaking in English. It was hard to get a new team because I was used to playing with the girls who had been with me for ten or twelve years. At first, it was really difficult, but after some time I got used to it and everything went well, I think.”

Adjusting on the court proved just as challenging. Lithuanian basketball demanded a much faster and freer style than the structured game she had grown up playing. “I think I played really badly in the first games because I wasn't used to that style. I was always used to slowing down the game and playing the sets that the coach called. In Lithuania we had much more freedom to play one-on-one and I wasn't expecting that. I wasn't used to it, so the first few games were really hard for me. After about one and a half or two months I started to find my place. I think the assistant coach helped me the most. He always supported me and told me that I needed to do more. He kept saying that I was supposed to be one of the main players and that I needed to take the ball more. I think he helped me the most with that.”

Her confidence grew with every passing month. The improvement became visible in her performances, as her scoring averages continued to rise while LCC International achieved fourth place in both the Lithuanian League and the Baltic League. Considering the youth of the squad and the expectations before the season, those results meant far more than numbers alone. “We accomplished a lot. We were a really young team and more than half of the team was new. The coaches didn't expect us to come and win everything, so I think we achieved a lot for who we were.”

Facing experienced EuroCup and EuroLeague opponents also became an invaluable part of her development. “I really liked that we had stronger teams that played in the EuroCup or EuroLeague. I was able to play against players who were much stronger, much more experienced and taller than me. It was really good to play against people like that.”

Photo: FIBA Basketball

Wearing Slovenia across her heart

Representing Slovenia has become one of the greatest moments of Tjaša's career. Having played for multiple youth national teams and recently making her debut with the senior national team, every summer has brought new opportunities and new responsibilities. “Of course, it was such an honor. I was really happy to be there and really excited. The first year I didn't play much because it was at the World Cup, but later I played with the Under-16 team. Every time I came to the national team there was a lot of pressure because people expected a lot from me. Still, it is a really big honor to play for your country.”

One tournament will always hold a special place in her heart. Slovenia's triumph at the 2023 FIBA U18 Women's European Championship in Konya became a memory she will carry forever. “I remember the final against France when we won by a few points. I just can't forget the feeling when we actually became champions. It was such a nice feeling.”

Another unforgettable milestone followed when she earned her first call-up to Slovenia's senior national team last November during the EuroBasket 2027 Qualifiers in The Netherlands. “It was also a really big moment for me. I didn't expect to play that much. I still remember that during the first game the assistant coach told me in the first quarter to get ready. I thought, 'What do you mean get ready? It's only the first quarter.' Then I got my chance and I think I played really well in that window. I showed myself to the coaches and I think they liked what they saw.”

Looking ahead with both feet on the ground

The next destination is Iowa State University, where Tjaša will continue her basketball journey with the Cyclones. Many players would describe such an opportunity in terms of fulfilled dreams or personal ambition. She chooses different words. “I don't know what to expect, to be honest. I really hope I can find my place in the team. I hope I can be really useful. We will see it soon. They just looked right for me. I liked the style of play, and they explained exactly what they wanted from me. I really liked the role they expect me to have, and that's why I chose them.”

Those answers reflect the person she has been throughout the entire conversation. Whether she talks about childhood, teammates, coaches, Lithuania, Slovenia or the United States, the focus never shifts towards herself alone. She consistently speaks about trust, learning, shared responsibility and contributing to something bigger than any individual. That may be the most remarkable quality Tjaša Turnšek possesses. Her talent undoubtedly stands out, as rebounding, scoring ability and all-around impact on the floor. Yet her greatest strength reaches beyond the box score. She has an extraordinary ability to help create environments in which people grow together, where belief becomes contagious and where connection transforms individual talent into collective success. Her journey is still only beginning. Even so, she already represents something that cannot be measured with statistics alone. She reminds people that the strongest teams are built through trust, that true leadership often begins with humility and that love for the game becomes even more meaningful when it inspires everyone around you to become the very best version of themselves.