Laia Palau: The Spanish evolution 2003-2017

PRAGUE (FIBA EuroBasket Women 2017) - Spain's most capped female player, Laia Palau, suggested that this summer may have been her last in a national team jumper. We look back at her 15 years in red and yellow.

As hard as it may seem to believe (and indeed, a lot of us don't), Spain are now coming to terms with the fact that next summer they could well be playing without their stalwart Laia Palau, who is about to embark on a new adventure in the land down under, Australia.

With this in mind, it feels like an appropriate time as any to reflect on her 259-game career in a Spanish jersey (to date?), culminating in FIBA EuroBasket Women glory.

The international basketball community were first drawn to the attention of Palau at FIBA EuroBasket Women 2003, when the 24-year-old made her major senior team debut. Throughout her career, Palau maintained a pass-first mentality, whilst not always maintaining the same hairstyle.

Palau shone on multiple stages in a Spanish jersey, including FIBA Women's Basketball World Cups...
...FIBA EuroBasket Women, and the biggest stage of them all...
...the Olympics.

Is this where the Australia seed was sown?

Through all of her international career, it was at FIBA EuroBasket Women that Palau tasted the most success, winning gold with the retiring Elisa Aguilar and Amaya Valdemoro in 2013...

...and again in 2017, at her own European swansong.
Gracias, Laia.

FIBA