While in Vigo the Miguel Méndez National Team began his path to the Games with a victory against Türkiye in the first warm-up friendly, Thousands of kilometers away, another match, also important for the future of the national team, was being settled. In fact, perhaps more crucial than the duel held in Galician lands and which served above all to enjoy the premiere with the absolute Awa Fam and Iyana Martínthe two great jewels of Spanish basketball.
Hours later, In Las Vegas, two of the best teams in the WNBA faced each other and the only two with Spanish representation. The Aces hosted the Connecticut Sun, leaders of the competition and who arrived in Nevada with only one defeat. But beyond the duel between the best team of the season and the current champion, it was a face to face between Megan Gustafson and Astou Ndour. The two names that are pending in the Spanish Federation to complete the team that will attend the Paris Games. An appointment that only one of them will be able to attend due to their nationalized status.
Becky Hammon’s Aces won 85-74 to the Connecticut Sun, thus reaping their second defeat of the season, and they did so with a prominent role from the Wisconsin player. Gustafsonwho debuted with the Spain shirt last February in the Pre-Olympic, came off the bench to He played 11 minutes in which he scored five points, captured six rebounds and gave an assist.
For his part, Astou Ndour, who has been international 78 times with the National Team and who already knows what it is like to compete in an Olympic event with Spain, also came out as a substitute and although he played less than Gustafson, he had greater offensive productivity. The player of Senegalese origin finished with 7 points and two rebounds in the three minutes he was on the hardwood in a game that was marked by the good performance of A’ja Wilson with her 26 points and 16 catches under the hoops.
Gustafson acquired Spanish nationality in June 2023. She did not arrive in time to play in the last Eurobasket, but she did do so in a Pre-Olympic Championship where she was one of the best in Mendez’s team. Especially in the offensive aspect. The Wisconsin player demonstrated her ability to score and earned a place in Méndez’s schemes.
“I’m here to provide whatever help I can. And if this is just here and now, great. And if it’s at the Games this summer, that will be amazing too. I am focused on the present and being here now. I played with her two years ago in Dallas and she is a great player and a great person,” Gustafson said then in an interview with Relevo.
On the other side of the scale is Astou Ndour. The player of Senegalese origin, who already knows what it is like to be in an Olympic event with Spain, abandoned basketball momentarily to be her mother. However, in January he took down his boots and returned to the hardwood with the aim of reaching the Paris event.
“That’s my goal. Of course. It’s what I’m training hard for to be able to do well,” he noted in March in conversation with Relevo. “If she has to go, she will have to go. And if it’s me, I’ll go. Honestly, it doesn’t affect me. I don’t have to prove anything to anyone right now, because I’ve been with the National Team for quite some time, since 2011. We have been at 100%, competing and winning medals. If she has to go, she has to go and if I have to go, I will go. For my part, there is no problem.”
