Conde learning from the best and balling out with ZVVZ USK Praha

PRAGUE (Czech Republic) - It's boom time for Spanish star Maria Conde who's playing the best basketball of her career, learning from a FIBA Hall of Fame legend and eyeing up EuroLeague Women Final Four.

We caught up with the wing ace to find out more about why this season is turning into the best of her career and to get an insight into a hugely talented ZVVZ USK Praha locker room.

Why do you think you are playing so well at the start of the season, and has anything changed to allow you to play the best basketball of your career so far?

I think the biggest thing for me this season so far has been being healthy. Coming off 2020-21 where I had so many physical problems, just being able to practice and play games has been amazing.

Going through difficult times last year has probably made me appreciate even more just the little things - everything you can do on a daily basis that eventually will help you be a step closer to where you want to be. It has also helped me understand my body a lot better, so I have been trying to focus on controlling all the things I can control, in order to feel as good as possible.

Apart from that, I don't think anything happens magically. What you can see today is the result of a lot of years being very sure of where I wanted to be and what I needed to do in order to get there. Also I am lucky to be surrounded by incredible people and professionals that have made sure I didn't forget my dreams and goals on the days when I felt fear, doubts or exhaustion. They have been with me every step of the way.

What it is like working with a FIBA Hall of Fame coach like Natalia Hejkova who has this unrivaled record in EuroLeague Women?

Knowing so many players that have played for her over the years and seeing how successful her career has been, I was very excited to start working with her. I remember one of the first things I saw when I first walked into the gym last year was her face on the wall next to 'FIBA Hall of Fame' which is just more proof of all the amazing things she has done over the years.

I think our relationship has grown so much since I got here. We understand each other to the point that sometimes we don't even need words to know what the other one is thinking - something which is one of the most special things about her.

She understands players, she cares about everyone on the team and she always puts the person first. To have worked with so many completely different players and having accomplished so many things, I think it just speaks for itself on how good she is at putting teams together and managing players. I'm excited to see how far we can take it this season together.

Looking back, you first played outside of Spain with Wisla CANPACK. How important was that experience for you as a young player?

Playing outside of Spain has been a huge part of my basketball career so far. Adjusting to living in Poland that first season wasn’t so hard since I played college basketball for a few years in the US, but it did teach me a lot of things.

We were a group of mostly young, talented players with hopes of playing EuroLeague Women that season, and losing in the Qualifiers the way we did early on, kind of showed us what we needed to do in order to play at the highest level.

Personally, playing that first year as a foreigner in Europe helped me learn how important consistency was and it was just a big step towards growing into the player I wanted and still want to be.

Tell us about what makes this ZVVZ USK Praha team tick and how you gel with each other?

I think one of the most special things about our team is that everyone has the same mindset and shares the same goals. If you are watching the games, you can see that in the way we play. Also, we all know the role we play on the team, which I think is a big part of our dynamic.

I was very excited to start playing with Alyssa Thomas because last year with our injuries we didn't get a chance to and she is a big part of why we play the way we play. Brionna Jones had an amazing season in the WNBA and she is already established as one of the best post players in the league.

Teja Oblak runs the team and is always looking at finding the best option for everyone. Dragana Stankovic and Barbora Balintova have done an amazing job at adjusting to a new team and it already feels like they have been with us a lot longer than just a few months.

Veronika Vorackova has had to step up after Katerina Elhotova left the team last year and she's been up to the challenge. Meanwhile the rest of the team is just always ready to come in when needed and make an impact no matter how much playing time they get.

Sport has a way of bringing many curiosities and coincidences together, including you and Teja Oblak both being pro basketball players and both having brothers who are both pro-footballers and both goalkeepers?

I think this is actually one of the first things we talked about when I first came to Prague. It’s funny how small the world is sometimes. My brother is now playing for a different club but he was part of Atletico Madrid for 12 seasons, so growing up he looked up to Jan Oblak as he is one of the best goalkeepers in the world.

Even in his last few years in the club, he got the chance to practice with the first team and with him. So for them both to see me and Teja both being part of the same pro-team now is amazing.

Your first EuroLeague Women Final Four would be a nice way to finish a successful season?

It's probably still a little early to talk about Final Four, but for sure it’s something that has been on everyone’s minds. After last season with the pandemic, injuries and not being able to compete the way we wanted to, we started this season excited to put all the pieces back together and knowing that it takes a lot more than just ambition to make it.

For me, making it to the Final Four and having a chance to fight for a EuroLeague Women title would mean everything. Being part of the league has been my dream since I started watching professional basketball. Luckily for me there’s been a lot of amazing players that later on, have become my teammates in the national team.

I have been able to follow them throughout the years and they have shown me over and over what it takes to play at the highest level. For now, I'm just trying to focus on staying present every day and doing all the little things daily that can help us get to where we want to be at the end of this season.

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