Direct to Eurobasket

The women’s team will be in the Eurobasket next summer. Nor is it a great novelty, taking into account that he has not lost a continental event since 1999 and that, since then, he has won three golds, one silver and five bronzes, but the appointment next June in Israel and Slovenia is special. A date that Spain had marked since the summer of 2021, when it was left without a place for the World Cup in Australia in a Eurobasket in which the National Team dreamed of hanging its third gold in a row, but which became a true nightmare from day one , with the positives for COVID of Alba Torrens and Tamara Abalde, and the opening loss to Belarus, a setback that complicated everything.

A year and a half after that, and with a rejuvenated team, the National Team had to beat Hungary, the other major rival in their group, to qualify on the fast track without having to wait for the last Window, the one in February. And he did it with a choral performance, showing his DNA in the second round: a whole return to its origins. ANDAs soon as he pushed back and was able to run, he left on the scoreboard with a thousand-armed Queralt Casas, the veteran connection between Torrens and Ndour, and the good wrist of Leo Rodríguez.

Meresz made it 17-18 at the start of that second period, but it was the last lead Hungary had in the entire game. Spain escaped with five straight points from Torrens, that little by little is becoming intoned after almost eight months stopped, and I smile with the Avenida duo (Maite Cazorla and Leo Rodríguez) on the track, although it would be Queralt Casas who put, from the free kick, the 43-29 with which he reached the break. He had achieved it after a sprint from one field to another that Dombai could only stop with a foul. Spain was fine in shooting (15/25 in field goals and 9/10 from the personal line) and strong at the back (only 29 goals conceded at halftime). Thus, it was difficult for Hungary to leave Huelva with the victory and with the honor of being the first team to topple Spain in some Windows. The balance in the qualifying phases is already 14-0.

The Selection lived on the mattress of rest. María Conde, one of the players called to be benchmarks for this team, opened her locker with two free throws and a triple while Astou Ndour made it big in the paint (21 points and 6 rebounds). Miguel Méndez asked for more rhythm and although Spain played a good game, they made too many mistakes (17 turnovers). For putting a but. With a triple by Studer, Hungary managed to get within seven in the last quarter (68-61, min. 36), but the comeback stopped there. Spain was once again the leader in the second quarter and with an 8-0 run they closed the game definitively (76-61) and the pass to the Eurobasketleaving a good taste in the mouth. “This Selection survives all of us”, said Alba Torrens in the previous one, more physically burdened, but who He has matured in his game and this Sunday he distributed six assists. What is clear is that the new Spain of Miguel Méndez looks just as good.