Heading into the start of the 2025-26 season, Dorja Zaja was relatively unknown in the minds of Badger fans. After all, Zaja was the last addition to the roster in a busy offseason for Wisconsin women’s basketball. The hiring of head coach Robin Pingeton from Missouri took the program in a new direction, alongside the acquisitions of Destiny Howell and Gift Uchenna through the transfer portal.
But by the end of Pingeton’s first year the 22-year-old Croatian center emerged as a key piece for the Badgers moving forward. Zaja’s humble beginnings in Europe prepared her for the ups and downs of college basketball, which Wisconsin certainly faced throughout the season. With three years of eligibility remaining, Zaja is excited about her future at Wisconsin.
“I hope to make this team better — become a leader that’s gonna help our program get to an even better level than it is now,” Zaja told The Daily Cardinal.
Born in Zagreb, Croatia, Zaja started playing basketball because of her sister. Growing up with a big family, it drove a hunger to compete and her love for team oriented sports. Basketball was a perfect match.
“I played in a tournament when I was 12. I won MVP, and I was like, I love this, this feels so good,” Zaja said.
By the age of 12, Zaja was already playing for the U-14 Croatian national team. She received her first senior national team selection before even becoming a legal adult, playing in her debut at just 17-years-old.
Zaja gained valuable experience from a wide array of national team tournaments in her early career. She played in the FIBA U-16 Women's European Championship, averaging 6.7 points in 2018 and 14.6 points along with 12.4 rebounds in 2019.
She also played in the 2021 FIBA U-18 Women's European Challengers and in Division B of the 2022 FIBA U-18 Women's European Championship. In the 2022 FIBA European Championship, she averaged a double-double with 14.3 points and 10.3 rebounds, putting her sixth in scoring and third in rebounding in the tournament.
As she turned 18, coming off major success in Europe, Zaja didn’t have any intention of playing for an American university. Instead, she went to London with the goal of signing her first professional contract. But after months of contractual and Visa issues, she was forced to leave. Fortunately for Zaja, she found a team in a little town called Sopron in Hungary, making it her home for the next year.
“It’s a small team, but they're really good. They played in the EuroLeague, and they're the best team in Hungary," Zaja said.
She left Hungary after sustaining an injury and found herself back in Croatia.
Zaja played for Tresnjevka 2009 W in the Croatian Premier League, the country’s top basketball league. Tresnjevka 2009 W was able to qualify for the playoff phase, where Zaja was a fundamental piece for the squad.
During her time in Croatia, Zaja competed against some of the best talent in her country. The success Zaja achieved while in Europe left her multiple options to continue her basketball career.
“I played at home for a year, and then I didn’t know where I was gonna go, go back and play in Europe somewhere or come to the U.S.,” Zaja said.
With her options open, Wisconsin was looking for a center that could replace Serah Williams, who transferred to UConn at the end of the 2024-25 season. Zaja seemed to be the perfect replacement. With a 6-foot-3 frame and great defense, along with her professional experience in Europe, it seemed like she would fit in perfectly.
Pingeton was adamant on getting Zaja across the Atlantic Ocean to Madison. During the recruiting process, they bonded from the start as family-oriented people. Zaja valued Pingeton’s motherly approach, supporting her as much as possible. But what became the ultimate factor was the chance for a new experience.
“I wanted to experience America and the university. I think the way [Pingeton] presented basketball and the way she coached was what really brought me here,” Zaja said.
After talks with her agent about her options, Wisconsin became home for Zaja. The opportunity to fulfill her academic and athletic goals created, as she would say, a “perfect combination.”
As Zaja transitioned into the program, she began to notice big differences in playing styles and the competition she had in front of her. Zaja was often working alongside senior forward Gift Uchenna in practice, learning from her and noticing the importance of being more physical.
“Everything is faster here, and it’s more physical for sure. I’m still getting used to it,” Zaja said.
During the season, Zaja became a rotational player for Pingeton, with Uchenna usually getting the start over her. Despite the reduced role compared to her play in Europe, it gave Zaja time to learn Pingeton's system and learn from an experienced forward like Uchenna.
“It was very humbling. When I was in Europe, I played for 40 minutes, and then I came here, and my minutes are limited. But I knew that [Uchenna] was a senior. She’s experienced this for three years and has played against great teams,” Zaja said.
Even with her limited minutes, the Badgers saw Zaja’s contributions in big ways. She scored 16 points in 20 minutes twice this season, providing crucial minutes for Wisconsin in their games against Illinois and UCLA.
Zaja also emerged as a huge paint presence for the Badgers, already putting herself in the Wisconsin record books. In her Wisconsin debut against Oakland, Zaja recorded six blocks, tied for second most at the Kohl Center, fourth most by a Badger freshman and the most ever by a Badger freshman in their debut.
Wisconsin encountered a tough stretch at the end of the regular season, losing 10 straight games. After such a strong start to the season, the Badgers were struck with some adversity right before the postseason. It forced the team to regroup and find answers to their problems.
“It’s a good process but a bad outcome. I feel like our process most of the time was very good,” Zaja said.
Wisconsin demonstrated courage and grit throughout the losing streak, but could never pull off the win. Even though practices maintained a high intensity, something just wasn’t clicking at the right time.
The Badgers were extended an invitation to the Women’s Basketball Invitational Tournament, a last chance to right the ship and avoid ending the season on a deflating losing streak.
“We knew that our time was gonna come. So I believe that in the WBIT, that was when our time came,” Zaja said.
Wisconsin overcame their tough stretch by making it to the WBIT semifinal, their deepest postseason run since 2007.
A lot of eyes will be on the Badgers, as they look to claim their first NCAA tournament bid in over 16 years. With Zaja coming back after an encouraging freshman year, Pingeton has a center she can rely on for their March aspirations.
