Cruz: "It would be special to face the USA in the Olympic Final"
NANTES (2016 FIBA Women's Olympic Qualifying Tournament) - Spain are one win away from reaching the Rio Olympics. If they can beat Korea on Friday, Lucas Mondelo’s team will secure one of the five tickets
NANTES (2016 FIBA Women's Olympic Qualifying Tournament) - Spain are one win away from reaching the Rio Olympics. If they can beat Korea on Friday, Lucas Mondelo’s team will secure one of the five tickets for Rio on offer at 2016 FIBA Women’s Olympic Qualifying Tournament (WOQT).
One Spanish player who relishes the prospect of advancing to Rio is Anna Cruz. The 29-year-old guard has averaged nine points in two Spain's games at WOQT.
Korea players can shoot like [Stephen] Curry. - Cruz
She shared her thoughts with FIBA.com.
FIBA.com: What are your thoughts about the game against Korea?
Cruz: It won't be an easy one. Actually, there are no easy games in this tournament. China and Korea have a similar style of game and we have to be focused for 40 minutes and play our best. I have watched them play. They are quick. Korea players can shoot like [Stephen] Curry. We have to be ready for them. If we stay focused on defense, we will be fine. As I said, we have to respect our opponents, but we are not afraid of them.
FIBA.com: Spain have dominated opponents with large winning margins. What has been the key factor behind the team's success?
Cruz: We have Sancho Lyttle, and she is a plus for us. Against China, it wasn't an easy game at all. They play good basketball, they run, they play good defense. But at the end of the day, we prevailed.
FIBA.com: If Spain advance to the Rio Games, there is a possibility of Spain facing some USA players - Maya Moore, Lindsay Whalen, Sylvia Fowles, Seimone Augustus. You won the 2015 WNBA title with them for the Minnesota Lynx.
Cruz: Right now, we are not thinking about Rio. We are thinking step by step, day by day. Our focus is on Korea. Of course, I want to play against Seimone in the Olympic Final, but we'll think about it after the Korea game.
FIBA.com: Will it be special for you, if Spain face the USA in the Olympic Final?
Cruz: It will be fun to go against them. Last time I talked to my [Minnesota] coach [Sheryl Reeve, who is the USA's assistant coach], I said to her 'see you in the [Olympic] Final'.
FIBA.com: Last summer, Spain lost to France in the EuroBasket Women 2015 Semi-Finals. As a team what lessons you have taken from that loss?
Cruz: Last year, Sancho [Lyttle] wasn't with us. Sancho makes a difference for us. She is a really good player. Sancho is a major boost for us. It was hard because we expected to reach the Final. Sometimes basketball is like this.
FIBA.com: Can you give us your thoughts about the growth of Spain's women's basketball? Over the last decade, the national team has gone from an average European side to becoming a world giant. What's behind this transformation?
Cruz: After EuroBasket Women 2011, we were terrible. It was a disaster for us. We missed out on qualifying for the London Games and needed to play the qualifications for EuroBasket Women 2013. After that, we learned that we can't put ourselves under pressure to win. We have to take things one step at a time.
FIBA