Silvia Domínguez (Montgat, Barcelona, 36 years old) made a decision 20 years ago that marked her sporting career. About to turn 17, the Catalan rejected the opportunity to take a scholarship in the basketball Olympus that is the United States and she stayed in Spain to evolve as an athlete. “At the time I saw that there was a competitive league here and my dream was to be a professional player. I thought what was being built was important,” she says. She has no regrets. She is now a legend who has won eight Leagues, five Queen’s Cups – in addition to the seven titles she added during some campaigns in Russia – and has played 396 games for LF Endesa. The competition started last weekend with a fact that reflects a change in trend in recent years: compared to the exodus of players a decade ago, now 80% of the national team’s players play at home: a “club success, players and institutions, of all,” he says.
Retaining national talent has become one of the hallmarks of LF Endesa. The promising young players prefer to stay and, increasingly, the veterans are attracted to return. This is the case of Alba Torrens (Binissalem, Mallorca, 34 years old), who returned last year to become champion with Valencia Basket Femenino after 12 years playing in Turkey and Russia. “A very special season because I had been away for a long time. It was the perfect return, I also realized how hard it is to win this League, it is becoming more and more competitive,” says the forward.
Mariona Ortiz (Calella, Barcelona, 31 years old) will also defend another crown this season, that of champion of the Queen’s Cup under the colors of Casademont Zaragoza. Like Domínguez and Torrens, the Catalan point guard played four seasons outside of Spain, in Poland and Belgium, before returning in 2021. Ortiz considers that there has been a “very important” evolution both in the media and in the way of making the LF visible. Endesa. “The League has raised the level a lot, there are many good players who have returned: Alba, Silvia… That shows that the competition is serious and that it can compete with others,” explains Ortiz.
A total of 16 teams will compete in the tournament, whose playoffs for the title will begin on April 20. The final phase will take place between May 9, 12 and 16. Before that, there will be the Endesa Super Cup, which will be played between September 30 and October 1 in Las Palmas de Gran Canaria, and the Copa de la Reina, between March 21 and 24.
“Women’s basketball is in very good health if we look at the interest in broadcasts, the pavilions that are filling up, and many other indicators,” said José Bogas, CEO of Endesa, the company that sponsors the events, at the presentation event. elite categories for 12 years. “It’s going to be an exciting season.” The LF Endesa can be followed through television channels such as Teledeporte and Federation platforms such as FEB TV or its Twitch channel.
After the first day of the LF Endesa Valencia Basket, Casademont Zaragoza and Perfumerías Avenida lead the qualifying table after beating Celta Zorka Recavi, SPAR Girona and SPAR Gran Canaria, respectively, the three teams that have started the season in the lowest positions. Paula Ginzo, from Barça CBS, was the best player of the day with an outstanding performance in her first game as a Blaugrana: 19 points, six rebounds, three assists, one recovery, one block and four fouls received.