Raquel Carrera: the mental maturity of a 21-year-old rising star

Young Galician center Rachel Carrera (Ourense, 2001) gave an example of maturity when Spanish selection I needed more. His role was crucial in the decisive match of the group stage of the Champions League Eurobasketball against Greece, after which the absolute national team qualified as the first group to perform quarter finals.

Her 14 points — some in key moments of the game — her defense against Mariella Fassoula, Greece’s Perfumerías Avenida, and other stats that led her to a PIR of 27 in that game confirm that she is one of the rising stars in women’s Europe basketball. Already on the other side of the Atlantic, they saw the potential of Ourensena, when two years ago she became the Spanish player selected in the highest seed (15th) in the WNBA draft.

For now, Carrera has placed the delicious American dream in another example of maturity, to focus on his team, Valencia Basket, with which she won the first Endesa women’s league this season for the club from Valencia. and did it like MVP of the finals. Without a continuity solution, he connected with the Eurobasket of Slovenia and Israel. The holidays are ready for Raquel Carrera, who in early July has a basketball campus with her name in her hometown.

He has a long contract with Valencia, until 2025, but due to his youth and evolution, the American adventure is still a very tangible option. In the WNBA, his rights are currently held by the New York franchise. But for now, his place for further growth is in European basketball, in Valencia and the national team.

The Galician player’s determination, passion for the game and adaptability have never gone unnoticed. She was in the youth selections of Ourense since she was a child, she made her debut at the age of 14 in the Women’s League 2 with Celta Vigo until the final of the Eurocup with Valencia, in which her pulse did not tremble to score the decisive goal. free kicks that won his team the continental title in 2021.

The progress of the Galician center did not end. And selection is his current challenge. The national team prepared by Galician Miguel Méndez is already in the quarterfinals. The national team gets a pass to this match for the sixth time in a row and can get a ticket for the qualifying match for the Olympic Games in Paris in 2024.

The woman from Ourense knows what it is to win, but also what it is to lose and suffer. Last season, she spent several months injured, which time she used to strengthen her mentality. Defeats, like the one experienced by the Spanish team in the previous Eurobasket 2021 at their second home, Valencia, have also taught Ourense to face important games and know how to calmly face the crucial moments of each game. Something that is noticeable in the self-confidence it awakens in its companions. The smiling and friendly character of the Galician center helps to create a good atmosphere in the dressing room and on the field, Spain finds in her a reference to make up for the important loss of Astou Ndour and overcome difficult moments. There is still a long way to go, but the Carrera is running steadily.

The team must beat Germany in order to compete for medals and enter the pre-Olympic games

Germany It will be an obstacle for Spain on the way to the semi-finals. At stake is the power of the fight for European medals and the national team for a ticket to the pre-Olympic games. After raising doubts by defeating Latvia in the first match of the group stage, the four-time continental champion Spain advanced. The team hasn’t faced its German namesake since 2012, which advanced to the quarterfinals after beating Slovakia in the playoffs and has a strong rebounding side. The match will be played from 8:45 p.m. in the Stozice Arena in Ljubljana, and you can follow it on Teledeporte.