Raquel Carrera during the Valencia Basket – Spar Girona match last Wednesday at Roig Arena.
/ JM López
Aside from the Copa de la Reina final, Valencia Basket faces its most important game of the season this Friday in Girona. Not only is a spot in what would be their sixth consecutive LF Endesa final at stake, but also a ticket to the next EuroLeague season. Currently, only Casademont Zaragoza has secured its place in the EuroLeague as the Regular Season champion.
Rubén Burgos’ team carries a minimal advantage from the first leg at Roig Arena, but they are boosted by the confidence of having beaten Spar Girona for the first time this season after losing the two regular-season meetings (96-68 in Fontajau and 71-74 in Valencia). The taronja side could have built a larger lead, as they were up by 10 points with three minutes left, but saw the gap reduced following two controversial referee decisions—a potential unsportsmanlike foul not called on Buenavida and an offensive foul on Leticia Romero that led to a three-pointer for the visitors.
Valencia Basket will know before stepping onto the court which team secured the first final spot and the potential consequences. If Perfumerías Avenida qualifies, a loss in Girona would mathematically eliminate them from the EuroLeague. However, if Casademont Zaragoza overturns their series, a taronja victory in the final would secure EuroLeague qualification; even a loss could earn them a spot in the EuroLeague preliminary round thanks to their Copa title.
Rubén Burgos and physical concerns
Burgos will have all 12 professional players available, though a couple couldn’t complete the last training session due to physical or health issues. “We arrive well, prepared. In such a short series, you can’t disconnect. We had a little recovery, one training session not fully completed due to some physical problems and illness—a player with a bit of fever. But we believe all can be fit for the match, even if they weren’t today. The team is focused on improving things just a little more, and as expected, there’s great parity. We’ll try to impose ourselves again there in Fontajau,” said the taronja coach.
Another ‘final’ for Awa Fam
Beyond the collective stakes, this match is especially significant for Awa Fam. The player from Santa Pola would play her last minutes in taronja colors if they lose, so she will aim to extend her farewell in style with another final before embarking on her WNBA adventure. Raquel Carrera, who will also head to the WNBA, will return for next season.
Speaking about the game, the center said: “I think we should be very happy with the match we played. Yes, we lost some of the lead at the end, but we’ve tried to keep that same confidence in training. We’re going with the same ideas, same energy, same desire, and that hope of achieving that title and that final qualification. It’s true that we had little accuracy, but I think we have to keep shooting, trusting each one of us, and ensuring that if we play like we did last time, surely there will be options.”
Historical record
The Catalan team is a frequent rival for Valencia Basket, with 25 total meetings so far. While Spar Girona dominated Valencia’s early years in LF Endesa, the taronja side have leveled the playing field since the 2020-21 season. Since then, Valencia Basket had won five consecutive matches, but the Catalans broke that streak this season with two victories.
