Born in the coastal town of Split, Croatia, Petra Božan didn’t start playing basketball until she was 14 years old.
As in many other countries outside of the United States, in Croatia, sport classes are taught outside of the school system. That’s why, at first, Božan started pursuing soccer. After a year playing on the soccer team, she made the switch to basketball.
At first, her interest in the sport was a shared enjoyment with her friends. However, with time, Božan decided that she’d like to continue playing at a higher level and commitment.
With that drive, Božan earned her first national team invitation with only six months of training.
“It meant a lot, especially because it's a great experience,” Božan said. “Representing your country makes you feel so proud and grateful. Every time you put that jersey on, you feel something special that you can't describe with words.”
That’s also where her jersey number came from. Even though the Croatian has had multiple numbers through her basketball career, with the Lady Lions she decided on number four. After she competed in the 2022 European Championship in Portugal, Božan made a deal with her physiotherapist that if she won a medal, she would use her number. Team Croatia won third place and Božan honored the promise.
Before making the decision to study and play in the United States, Božan thought she would continue to play in Europe and go pro immediately at 18 years old. However, her agent brought up the idea of moving to the United States as a development opportunity, not only career-wise, but also personally.
“It was already July, so I didn't expect anything. It was really late for me to even make that decision, so I was like, ‘sure, we can see what happens,’” Božan said. “I got a few really good offers so I was really surprised, but I didn't have any time for doing visits in-person, so I was just able to do Zoom calls.”
The forward spent her freshman and sophomore seasons at Nebraska. There, she first experienced the differences between her usual basketball style and the one played in the NCAA and the Big Ten Conference specifically.
“Honestly, it was kind of difficult at first because sometimes I feel like basketball here and basketball in Europe is not even the same sport,” Božan said. “Starting from some basic rules that are different, how teams play, what's the focus on and physicality. You really need to be all in to compete at that level and it just needs time to get used to it, but once you figure it out, it just goes slower and everything goes the way it's supposed to.”
Other differences between the U.S. and Croatia that stood out to her were the food and the pace of life in both countries. Božan mentioned that in her coastal town, she liked to sit in coffee shops and appreciate the slow life of the country. She has already found some options to do the same in Happy Valley.
When Božan started scouting other collegiate opportunities, Penn State stood out to her as she felt an instant connection with the coaches.
“The idea of building a whole new program from the foundation sounded really exciting, and we have a chance to do something special and amazing. I felt like Penn State was the right place for me to personally develop both on and off the court,” the economics major said.
Having the coaching support of head coach Tanisha Wright has been essential in acclimated to Happy Valley and understanding the new Lady Lions’ strategy.
“Coach T has a big highlight on the defensive side. Being able to learn from her about all that stuff because she's had a lot of experience leaves me speechless. The ability to learn from her, it's amazing,”
Božan said when asked about her expectations for this year, “We will give our best on the court and we'll fight every game. We are not afraid of anyone. The Big Ten Conference is tough and it has really good teams, but I feel like the best thing about it is that anybody can beat anyone.”
Outside of basketball activities, Božan likes to relax, calling herself a “big sleeper.” She also likes to hang out with friends, explore new places, build Legos and play with dogs.
“My motivation to keep playing basketball is to make myself and my family proud, but also to make the younger version of myself proud,” Božan said. “I want to prove that all the things that she was doing before and sacrificing it all paid off.”