A great Spain demands a great United States in the World Cup semifinals

A great Spain challenged a great United States on a stage as imposing as the semifinals of a World Cup. The team of young Iyana Martín and Awa Fam pushed the WNBA players to the limit and only gave in when they ran out of energy in the final minutes, exhausted from an enormous effort against athletes full of talent. Spain will play this Sunday (16:30, Teledeporte and Movistar) for the bronze medal against Germany while the United States and France will replay (20:00) the Olympic final of the Paris Games, decided by a single point in favor of the Americans. The Dream Team, winner of eight Olympic golds and four consecutive world championships, maintains its astonishing streak of 20 years without losing an official match, since the 2006 World Cup semifinals against Russia.

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Spain entered the ring with fists raised, fierce. A block by Carrera on Copper made it very clear that Méndez’s group was not afraid at all, and a three-pointer by Awa Fam and a fast break again finished by Carrera gave the team that game start they had so much conjured. It was about setting the pace and shouting loud ‘here I am’, being protagonists of every play instead of waiting for the opponent. A very switched-on team excelled in those first minutes due to their defensive intensity and ball movement (9-1), two commandments in their DNA. Iyana headed to the basket when she spotted a lane and Awa shot from mid-range. Without the ball, the five white jerseys merged into one against the red stars, disoriented and hooked on outside shooting, a luck that María Conde matched. Méndez activated the rotations (Flórez, Gustafson) and Kara Lawson also called on fresh blood: Bueckers, Caitlin Clark, and Reese. Lots of artillery. The United States gained fluidity in the game and raised the level defensively to force Spain’s turnovers and, in a display of muscle, took a slight lead (18-21).

The game changed once the Olympic and world champions rolled up their sleeves, aware that pure technique would not serve this time if they did not get down and dirty. In Berlin, a clash of giants. Iyana caught a three-pointer with a twist in the last second of the possession and Caitlin Clark sat with only one point in the stats, a sign that she was not expecting a comfortable night. As the US boasts many stars, Breanna Stewart stepped up. So did Raquel Carrera. And if they didn’t know her in the WNBA, Iyana made her introduction. The courage and game vision of the young 20-year-old point guard gave Spain wings to challenge the Dream Team. The United States earned many fouls to go to the free-throw line and the Spanish bench received a technical foul for considering the refereeing standard was not the same. In the first half, the American team shot 27 times from the free-throw line (19 made, almost half their scoring) compared to only four for Spain. Even that did not bring the team down. The tension and equality were at their peak in Berlin (36-39).

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Spain formed a huddle on the court before resuming action. And it was a huddle when the clock started. Two three-pointers by Conde and another by Iyana highlighted that very Spanish skill of sharing the ball and always finding the best shooting option. The United States held their ground with more physicality and inspiration than collective sense, the advantage of having such brilliant soloists. The team reached the net walking five players hand in hand; the US, with individual dances. Caitlin Clark managed the operations, although without a trace of her lethal accuracy. The match moved in very short or nonexistent distances (58-58).

The Spanish team was where it wanted to be, at the doorstep of the last quarter of the World Cup semifinals against the United States and with confidence sky-high. If anyone was scared, it was not these 12 women. For proof, the ball that Carrera snatched from Breanna Stewart’s hands. The best Spain challenged the WNBA, although fouls weighed heavily on the team’s backpack. A thorny issue when the plot’s outcome demanded every drop of fuel available in the tank. An extra gear gave the Americans a cushion that hovered around ten points. María Conde led the last resistance. If Spain had to lose, it would be like from its first breath, with fists raised. The United States wall is still very high.

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