From expectation to certainty in 41 days. That was the time from the presentation of the women’s national team to the silver medal in Athens. That was the span Miguel Méndez and the Spanish Basketball Federation needed to confirm that the generational shift had been complete, and that its acceleration was an almost total success. Only the fateful, maddening, and horribly played final three minutes of the final against Belgium prevented the highest honor—the gold—for a very young and inexperienced (or directly without experience) group in major tournaments.
Six of the players who arrived at the EuroBasket were 25 years old or younger: Iyana Martín, Awa Fam, Elena Buenavida, Aina Ayuso, Helena Pueyo, and Raquel Carrera. The last one, the Valencia Basket center, is in this group by age but stands apart because she is already a veteran with three European Championships under her belt. The other five were making their debuts.
These international players immersed themselves in the philosophy of La Familia, in solidarity, and in team unity. The coach brought happiness and joy without constraints. And there was plenty of quality and impact in those five wins out of six, the silver medal, and a ticket to the Pre-World Cup.
Iyana’s role was cut short in Athens due to an infectious colitis after shining in Hamburg—what a burst of energy she always brought off the bench! Meanwhile, Fam broke out against France in the semifinals with 21 points. Buenavida’s defensive work, in help and recovery, was sublime (without forgetting her fearless attitude on offense). Ayuso started as the third point guard and broke through against France and Belgium. Pueyo put aside her back problems to show leadership in the final.
“We talk about the future, but this team is the present. This project is ambitious and winning,” said Elisa Aguilar, president of the FEB, deep inside the Peace and Friendship Stadium in Piraeus. “The philosophy, the energy, what is being built… That is the greatest thing,” commented Miguel Méndez back in Spain, thinking about a future that looks bright for a team that the coach picked up from the ashes of the Lucas Mondelo affair and the poor results of 2021, and has kept it as one of the great powers, at least in Europe.
It looks good because to this new core will be added those who, for the coach, should be the foundation of this Olympic cycle culminating in Los Angeles 2028. We are talking about the injured absentees: Maite Cazorla, María Conde, Megan Gustafson, and Nerea Hermosa. Four players who will bring a significant quality boost to a team that keeps widening its player pool thanks to the opportunities from FIBA Windows (easier for women than for men due to the lower level of opponents), Méndez’s boldness in ignoring the age on the ID card, and the lack of fear from the youngest players to aim for the sky. The farewell of noble veterans like Silvia Domínguez, Laura Gil, Queralt Casas… opened doors and possibilities that were practically closed. They freed hands to build from scratch and bet on everything. To take risks.
“From the beginning we follow many players and we have a school. We don’t have the physical attributes, but we have very competitive players,” Méndez confessed about the work to increase the number of potential internationals, which does not disappoint: “We came in the middle of a generational shift, with no expectations for this tournament, and we hung a silver medal that will taste very good in the future,” said Aguilar.
