PRAGUE, Czech Republic, June 26, 2017: FIBA EuroBasket Women 2017 MVP Alba Torrens has taken Spain to gold with a commanding 71-55 win over France in the Final (FIBA EuroBasket Women 2017 MVP Alba Torrens).
Spain return to the top of the podium after relinquishing the title they won in 2013 to Serbia in 2015; giving the perfect FIBA EuroBasket Women sending off to their most capped player in women’s history, Laia Palau.
With Spain leading 39-30 at the half, the FIBA Women’s Basketball World Cup 2018 hosts lifted their game another notch in the third quarter, pulling away to a 56-40 lead that would be barely challenged by France in the final quarter.
The gold medal game also marked a final FIBA EuroBasket Women appearance for French legend Celine Dumerc, who had to settle for the runners-up tag for a third consecutive European campaign.
Alba Torrens was joined on the All-Star Five by France’s Endene Miyem and 2009 MVP Evanthia Maltsi of Greece, while the future of the game was represented by Emma Meesseman of Belgium and Cecilia Zandalasini of Italy. The MVP and All-Star Five awards were offered by Tissot.
Earlier, in the game for third place, Belgium, led by Meesseman, comprehensively defeated Greece 78-45 to claim the first senior podium finish in their nation’s history.
The top-four finishing teams will be joined by Turkey and Latvia at next year’s FIBA Women’s Basketball World Cup – the latter two claiming their spots on account of finishing FIBA EuroBasket Women 2017 in fifth and sixth place respectively. —- FIBA
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