Perhaps the secrets of Spanish basketball and its success lie in the future. The care of pearls, the path towards the greatest objectives, and the leap they manage to take to become the heritage of the present, despite the fact that they are still names of the future.
Izan Almansa (Murcia, 2005) and Helena Pueyo (Palma, 2001) are awarded at the V Spanish Basketball Gala for their enormous projection, receiving a distinction that motivates them to reach great heights.
Almansa is recognized as a collector of MVP awards, with a remarkable story in Spanish basketball. He was part of the gold medal-winning team at the U19 World Cup in Hungary last year and also won the special Under 17 World Cup in 2022. Furthermore, he repeated at the 2021 European Under 18 Championship.
Pueyo is a seasoned player who excelled in the tough university system in the United States. She played her best season at the powerful University of Arizona, averaging 9.7 points, 3.7 rebounds, 3.6 assists, and an impressive average of 3.2 steals.
These two players are the paradigm of the new basketball: imposing physique, capable of leaving their mark on both sides of the court, and significant scoring ability. With results, which at the end of the day, is what counts.
Their ceiling is still unknown, and Izan Almansa continued this course, outlining his sporting career in the United States within the Ignite young talent project in the G-League. He could have taken the step to the NBA, but he prefers a more slow-burn course looking for another jump among the professionals. Australia or Spain are ideal destinations for a player capable of making a difference.
Pueyo is now history, selected 22nd overall in the WNBA Draft by the Connecticut Sun. She is the steal of the Draft, known for her ability to move the ball, make good decisions, and shoot from three.
Both projects are names of the future of a FEB that takes care of them slowly and introduces them to its larger teams. Almansa is part of the ‘Golden Boys 2.0’ project and Sergio Scariolo, national coach, counted on him in the preparations. Pueyo will enter the accounts of a generational change that the women’s team continues to give and show with the Raquel Carrera or María Conde as banners.