“I was fighting to lead a normal life, but my life is on the slopes”

He left suddenly in 2019 due to a family issue. Does he feel he has an outstanding debt with Spar Girona and the city?

I feel privileged to have returned to Girona. In 2019 I played super well and I want to be the same as before. I need to apologize to the club and the fans, so I will give everything when I’m on the pitch. I am very grateful for this opportunity that Uni has now given me. I want to help the team.

How was the operation of his return?

It was closed at the last minute. My agent spoke to the club and then told me there was Mendy’s vacancy because she was pregnant. When I heard that there was an opportunity to return to Girona, I was clear about it. I want to be the player I used to be and I’m really looking forward to it, I just think about work, work and work. I am very happy and satisfied.

What can he bring to the team: seniority and experience?

i want to win I’ve played with the best in basketball: Laia Palau, Maya Moore, Lauren Jackson… They always want to win and they know how to do it. This year my role is a little different. I need to get back to the highest level because I have been out of action for three years and the style of play has changed a lot everywhere. Basketball is different. I have to give myself time and space to learn the new concepts little by little.

Is age just a number?

Hopefully. In principle, yes. I know many different styles of basketball and hope to help with my experience. I also know how the rest of the team plays and that they can get ahead of me. I respect that.

Have you disconnected from basketball in the last three years?

I have lived like a normal woman. I worked for Nike in their offices and learned administrative tasks, which I had no idea about before because I had always been a gamer. I also had the opportunity to be an associate coach for an NBA team (Los Angeles Lakers). I just played basketball for fun, like it was a hobby. I was in good shape, but nothing serious… With time I realized that I was not yet ready to be a coach or to be in an office, I missed being a professional player, and I needed a change in my life again. It was not normal for me to spend two whole years in a row at home and I knew it would be very difficult to join a team, but my agent encouraged me to work to be in full condition to play again.

Have you kept in touch with anyone at Uni in the meantime?

No. When I’m in a place, I’m not for anything else. I’ve always done the same. I didn’t follow the team because I didn’t want to get jealous or feel sad seeing that I wasn’t a part of it anymore. I’m starting to age and I’m getting more and more excited, I’m a different person. The only one he spoke to from time to time was Paola Ferrari to wish him luck in the matches, but nothing else. He was struggling to live a normal life.

When he said goodbye to Girona, he said that he did not rule out returning because he wanted to “play until the age of 40 like Laia Palau”.

Hopefully. She is an idol to me, just like Lauren Jackson… They are players who are in good shape, mentally strong and have the patience to always do their job in good times and bad. They are leaders because they are always there. I would like to learn this from them and feel more confident as a woman. This season I have the challenge of being noticed on and off the court, I want to be a reference for the dressing room.

Has Laia Palau given you any advice? how do you feel

I think physically I’m a bit slower, which is normal for age, but my real weakness is my mentality. I want to have everything under control, also in my private life, to give my hundred percent and help the team. Little by little I will find my rhythm, I know I can score baskets, make triples, defend… Laia tells me I have to believe more.

He also kissed the lioness’s ass to return…

(River). Yes, really. I was walking around town the other day and I remembered it. I knew it was a myth but I didn’t think it would end up becoming reality. I’m back. For me it’s crazy.

How did he leave if he was sure he wanted to come back?

I missed my family and my aunt and mother were sick. I thought that at 34 it was time to be at home, look for love and have a “normal” life. I wanted to be better than worse. But it was not so. I planned many things and none came out. I realized that no matter how much I chose what was supposed to be the smartest choice, it didn’t make me happy and I missed being a gamer. I have learned my lesson.

Was it a challenge to come back knowing you might not stay?

There were many new developments: I didn’t know if I would have a contract in Europe, if I would be good as a player… Everything was up in the air. When I like to have everything under control… It was stressful. Until Laia took me aside and said: hey, nothing’s wrong, you’re here. From then on I concentrated on working and making baskets to win. I have to be kinder to myself because sometimes I demand too much of myself.

Day-to-day life in Girona must be very different from that in the United States.

You can’t imagine how much. Everything is very mechanical there, everyone is angry, stressed… Whereas here people know how to enjoy life more. I’m calmer and that allows me to play a lot better, really. My numbers go up and I feel good, more relaxed. I need time like everyone else, but I’m looking to get back to my old self.

Has Uni changed much during this time?

It has become more professional. Every year they have good players and they go up the ranks, I only have good words from the club. The gym has improved, we share the pavilion with the men in the ACB, we are always in the Euroleague…

She made history by becoming the first woman to be part of the Los Angeles Lakers in a coaching role, as a technical assistant.

It was a dream. I’ve been a Lakers fan since I was little. He had always had a relationship with the club. I remember Kobe (Bryant) a lot. The experience will stay with me for the rest of my life. I learned a lot because, for example, there were 84 games per season, a lot of video sessions, concentration on small details… And all just to earn a few more points. I found it too exaggerated. I know the NBA is top level and I respect that, but at that time I preferred to have more balance and peace of mind.

Is the NBA still a very sexist world?

Yes. It depends on the club, but they are trying to change. The league president wants to include a woman on every team. There are women like Becky Hammon, Ayesha Curry… They are slowly coming in. I didn’t have any problems, it was just that I was shocked because I was the only one. But I felt very comfortable and there was a good vibe with the players.

Why did you decide to quit?

She wasn’t ready to train. She didn’t enjoy high-level basketball like she used to. Despite the pressure or losing games, I had always had a good time in my career and I wasn’t doing that back then. It didn’t fill me up. I knew my place was on the slopes.