MARANHAO (Olympics) - Iziane has played at the highest level of professional basketball in South America, Europe and the WNBA.
She has been there in big tournaments with Brazil’s national team, too.
There have been World Championship games, WNBA Finals and EuroLeague Women contests.
She has celebrated after a lot of important triumphs.
Yet a game that she has yet to win has been one when an Olympic medal was at stake.
To step onto the podium at the London Games would be, without question, one of the sweetest moments of her career.
"Winning an Olympic medal is still one of the goals I have as an athlete," she said.
The 1.82m shooting guard from Maranhao, Sao Luis, has a chance to accomplish that aim in several months when the London Games are held in London.
Looking back
Iziane has shined at an Olympic Games before.
She made an impact in Athens, averaging 15 points per game.
Brazil went close to reaching the podium in Greece but were denied by Russia in the Bronze Medal Game.
Trailing by a single point going into the last quarter, the South Americans faded and lost, 71-62.
Iziane led Brazil with 16 points and six assists in that game.
That disappointment was followed by one back home.
At the 2006 FIBA World Championship for Women in Brazil, Iziane and her teammates led Australia in the second half of their Semi-Final but lost, 88-76.
Following Russia's upset of the United States in their game, Brazil took on the Americans and crashed to a 99-59 Bronze Medal Game defeat.
Failure to reach the podium in front of the home fans was a big disappointment, and the hangover carried into the next year when the Brazilians played at the FIBA Americas Championship for Women.
Needing to win to earn a trip to Beijing, Brazil were upset by Cuba, 69-67 in the Semi-Finals.
The USA romped to gold to earn a trip to China.
Brazil eventually did make it to the Olympics, but not Iziane, who had disagreement with her coach during the 2008 FIBA Olympic Qualifying Tournament (OQT) in Madrid and was dropped from the squad.
Iziane’s return
Iziane did come back to the Brazil team.
She played at the 2010 World Championship in the Czech Republic, a tournament that came immediately after she competed in the WNBA Finals with the Atlanta Dream.
Iziane averaged 13.4 points per game but Brazil suffered an early exit.
Right now, she is competing for her home town club, Maranhao.
"I've reached many goals that I set in my life," the 30-year-old Iziane said.
"I surpassed my expectations, plus I have other goals to achieve and will achieve.
"To help put Maranhao in a league final would be wonderful.
"And the other is, without a doubt, an Olympic medal that I don't have."
