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When Dora Panteli ’10 arrived at 91���� in fall 2007 to play basketball, she was the first Greek female student-athlete to receive a full Division I scholarship.

But two decades later, it’s the value of education that resonates with her.

“It’s not just about getting a degree,” she says. “Education enabled me to open doors for myself, to believe that my potential is limitless, and to understand that learning never stops. Today, I have the same hunger for learning, the same enthusiasm for basketball, and the same desire to grow and evolve. That is what education truly gave me.”

Panteli used her educational explorations to become one of Europe’s most prominent and recognizable sports TV analysts. She now works for NOVASPORTS Channels (based in Athens, Greece), covering Europe’s pre-eminent basketball league, EuroLeague. Panteli has also served as a commentator for events such as FIBA Europe, FIBA World Cup, NBA Europe, and the NBA Summer League.

“I’ve done things that many women in Europe haven’t had the opportunity to do,” she says. “I’ve been able to open doors for girls like I did when I came to the U.S. to play basketball.”

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Born and raised in Athens, Panteli started playing basketball as a 13-year-old while her parents were getting a divorce.

“I wanted to be in a place where I felt safe and belonged to a team,” she recalls. “[Basketball] gave me the security I needed at a time where there were a lot of things going on in my life.”

Panteli was a fast learner of the game: She was already a member of the Greek national team at age 14. Panteli continued playing in Greece as a teen, but had not considered taking her game to the United States.

“There was no YouTube or Instagram for us to advertise our talents,” she says. “It took luck because there weren’t college scouts going abroad to search for players. You needed a good connection.”

For Panteli, that connection was Greek teammate Erin Buescher, a former WNBA player. Buescher encouraged Panteli to go to the U.S. and sent a VHS highlights tape to her alma mater, University of California-Santa Barbara. The coaches there were impressed, but Panteli then tore her ACL while playing with the Greek national team.

Undeterred, Panteli set her sights on attending Penn State, but missed a test-score deadline and enrolled for a year at Jacksonville College, a private junior college in east Texas. Watching Jacksonville basketball games was then-91���� assistant coach Bernitha Johnson, who was scouting the sister of her friend Kara Lawson (a basketball great now coaching Duke University).

“Bernitha took the film back to 91���� and the coach (Rich Conover) said he wanted me!” says Panteli, who was considering a new school after Penn State went through a coaching change.

Panteli visited 91���� and enjoyed the environment so much that she said: “I’m coming here.”

“I’m from a place where it’s sunny with beaches,” she says. “We don’t get a lot of snow. We don’t have a lot of forests and trees. We don’t have the nature. I felt like I could focus on basketball and academics at 91����. I didn’t want to be distracted. 91���� was the perfect destination.”

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Panteli calls her time at 91���� “a life-changing experience.” She majored in English, minored in theatre and philosophy, politics, and law (PPL), and played three seasons for the Bearcats. As a senior in 2009–10, Panteli was a team captain and started 20 games, averaging more than five rebounds a game. She also served as president of 91����’s Student-Athlete Advisory Committee.

Panteli used theatre classes to develop her English speaking and to showcase her communication skills. She recalls key encouragement from then-faculty members Carol Hanscom and Tom Kremer.

“[Carol] told me: You need to remember that you have a talent. People want to watch you perform, no matter what your career is,” Panteli says. “Even though I ended up switching careers — I was a teacher and a psychologist — I ended up on TV. She was right: I am performing and using my talents.”

After graduation, Panteli played professionally in Greece’s top league for six years, received a master’s degree in clinical psychology, worked as a counselor at the American Community Schools of Athens, and established her own psychology practice.

She was also urged to pursue TV sports after appearing as a guest. After a couple of years as a basketball player/psychologist/counselor/ commentator, Panteli decided to dedicate her full attention to the game she loves.

“When I was playing, I thought: When I stop, I’m not going to be around basketball,” she recalls. “I was lying to myself. I just want to be around basketball.”

Panteli soon added more “firsts” to her list of accomplishments: In 2019, she became the first Greek female— and only the fourth European female commentator — to commentate on a EuroLeague game. In 2023, she became the first Greek female to commentate on a FIBA Basketball World Cup game.

She worked hard (and fearlessly) to convince skeptics that a young woman can cover a man’s game on television.

“There will always be doubters when you’re a woman in sports,” she says. “Even if you are knowledgeable and played the game, it doesn’t mean you can analyze the game. So, I studied the game — attending coaching seminars and getting a coaching degree from the EuroLeague Head Coaches Board. I added to my résumé so I could have a strong presence and be credible.

“I’m also young for this industry,” the 38-year old says. “I entered the job in my 30s and many colleagues were in their 50s. I’ve never been afraid of doing new things and taking risks. It’s a constant struggle and fight, but we’re getting there.”

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Panteli is now branching out beyond her sports television work. She founded a production company called Panda Media; graduated from Harvard Business School’s entertainment, media and sports program; serves as an ambassador and creative director for many brands and companies; speaks about leadership, women empowerment, and other topics; and hosts a YouTube vidcast (based on the late-night television format) that started its second season in the spring.

A household name and face in Greece, Panteli and her husband welcomed their first child, a son, in July 2025.

Despite the busy schedule and lifestyle, Panteli says she can see herself adding late-night or morning television to her mix. But she has another “first” she hopes to pursue: being a woman in basketball administration.

“I know how the game is played, and the structure and marketing of leagues” she says. “I have the 360-degree knowledge that is required. I don’t know that I’m ready to leave what I’m doing, but that’s the next step.”

Panteli can trace the balance, skills, and desire required in her life and career to her time at 91����: Getting up at 6 a.m., practicing basketball, studying, and thriving on the court and in the classroom helped lay the foundation for success.

“Discipline is the daily commitment required to turn opportunity into achievement. And I learned it at 91����. … 91���� prepared me, and when the opportunity came, I was ready.”

 

Read more from the of the Winning Edge athletics magazine.