ESP – Torrens thrills again for Spain

KATOWICE (2011 EuroBasket Women) - It's been said before, and it's going to be said over and over again.

Alba Torrens is the future of Spanish women's basketball.

She served up a timely reminder of that on Saturday in her country's 79-69 victory over Germany at the EuroBasket Women.

Spain's versatile 21-year-old shooting guard went coast-to-coast for a lay-up on one occasion.

She also blew past defenders and earned countless trips to the free-throw line where she made eight of nine.

When the Group C opener was over, Torrens, who played at the Beijing Olympics in 2008 and won bronze medals at the EuroBasket Women in Latvia and FIBA World Championship for Women in the Czech Republic the following two years, had a game-high 18 points.

Having been named MVP of this year's EuroLeague Women Final Four after leading Halcon Avenida to the title and then celebrated a Liga Femenina championship with the Salamanca club, Torrens has never looked better.

"This year there have been improvements," she said to FIBA.com.

"I´ve been lucky to have played in a great team like Salamanca and to have played among great players.

"The EuroLeague is a competition that makes you grow and go forward. I still have a lot of things to improve, I still make mistakes.

"I have to continue to work hard, day by day and improve."

Torrens was so good that Avenida couldn't afford to keep her.

Instead, big-spending Galatasaray have signed Torrens and that, she says, is a great opportunity.

"It´s a big moment in my life," she said.

"The team has a great project and I´m honored they have included me in this project. I will try to adapt as quickly as possible to the country, to the team.

"I hope all will go smoothly and I can help my new team achieve its aims."

Spain wanted to hit the ground running in Katowice and they did by beating Germany.

"We have a good team," Torrens said.

"All the positions are covered, inside, outside, guards.

"We try to play a hard defense and whenever possible run. But we can also play five against five."

The main aim is to get back to the Olympics.

If Spain win the EuroBasket, something they haven't done since 1993, they will earn a trip to the London Games.

If they finish second, third, fourth or fifth, Spain will be invited to the FIBA Olympic Qualifying Tournament for Women.

"I was lucky to make my debut with Spain at the Olympics in China and it was the best experience of my life," she said.

"To play at the Olympics is a dream and of course, it´s a challenge for us.

"But right now it is far away. We still have a lot of work to do if we are to achieve that.

"I and the rest of my team-mates will give our all to be able to make it to the Olympics.

"It would be fantastic to repeat the experience of China. We have an opportunity in Poland to qualify and if not, we will have to go through qualifying."

FIBA