Raquel Carrera, the MVP of the logical and historical consequence

BASKETBALL | LF ENDESA 2022-2023

She was showing promise when, at just 14 years old, she became one of Celta Zorka Recalvi’s benchmark players in LF2 and already left important flashes of quality in her debut season at LF Endesa as Kutxabank Araski. For this reason, it seemed logical that in a short space of time, Raquel Carrera would become one of the most dominant centers in European basketball, who captivated her with those free throws that won a Eurocup and who proudly shows today what is already the first league title in the history of his Valencia Basket.

They had won the first game of the Final in Valencia and that put their team in a comfortable position to be able to count on two match-balls towards the title. But despite this, Raquel Carrera and her Valencia Basket decided to “land” in Würzburg with the sole objective of being able to close the tie against Perfumerías Avenida as soon as possible, which, as expected, was still going to have a lot to say. .

Because the team from Salamanca signed an almost perfect first half in which they could see themselves close to the third match of the series. Some illusions that began to fade after passing through the changing rooms when the management of Cristina Ouviña and the points of Raquel Carrera began to reverse the fate of one and the other. And it was precisely the Galician center who was the most decisive in that task, acting as a true power hammer and surprising both in positions close to the basket and from long distance.

In this way, his 20 points, 8 rebounds, 5 assists and 4 fouls received became too heavy a slab for an opponent who ended up giving in in the final stages to hand Carrera and his team the great league title. A prize in itself that Raquel complemented with 28 valuation goals that were well worth a well-deserved MVP of the Final.

Raquel Carrera’s was always an early career in basketball. A player who, at just 14 years old, was already playing a U17 World Cup (2016) that summer in which she achieved her first international medal with Gold in the U16 European Championship. But her international role was only confirmation of the stellar work she had been doing season after season in an LF2 in which she received her doctorate at just 17 years old, serving as the natural leader of Celta Zorka Recalvi in ​​a Final Phase in which she reached the first great MVP of his career. An award that she has had her continuity now, four years later, as the MVP of an LF Endesa Final in which she has managed to win the great national title. A trophy to which she had already aimed directly with a previous MVP in the quarterfinals and for which she has fought in parallel to her first season in the Euroleague. And all this, with just 21 years.

The ideal quintet of the day:

proved decisive Cristina Ouvina (Valencia Basketball) with his control of the match tempo and his direction throughout a great second half, but he also played a key role Queralt Casas (Valencia Basket) scoring from the corner that accurate triple that gave his team the first advantage of the night. Two key moments of the second match of the final and that endorsed the arrival of both to an ideal quintet in which their outer line was going to have full prominence taronja with the work between the lines of a Lauren Cox (Valencia Basket) who was entering the game as the minutes passed and whose second half was as fundamental between the lines as his work was in the first game of the series.

Already in interior positions, the intractable Raquel Carrera (Valencia Basket) shone with its own light to finish decanting a series that the pivot Mariella Fasoula (Avenida Perfumeries)he tried to prolong without success despite his great encounter from the perfume painting.

Base: Cristina Ouvina (Valencia BC) 13 val: 13 points (3/3 TL and 4/9 TC), 2 rebounds, 4 assists, 1 recovery and 2 received fouls.
Shooting guard: Queralt Casas (Valencia BC) 15 val: 9 points (4/10 TC), 8 rebounds, 3 assists and 1 recovery.
Eaves: Lauren Cox (Valencia BC) 14 val: 13 points (2/2 TL and 5/7 TC), 5 rebounds, 1 block and 1 foul received.
power forward: Raquel Carrera (Valencia BC) 28 val: 20 points (5/5 TL and 7/11 TC), 8 rebounds, 5 assists and 4 fouls received.
Center: Mariella Fasoula (Avenida Perfumeries) 17 val: 12 points (4/4 TL and 4/8 TC), 3 rebounds, 1 assist and 8 fouls received.

Stats of the season – Raquel Carrera:

FULL FORM
Games played: 38
Minutes: 24.40
Points: 10
Rebounds: 4.1
Assists: 1.4
Recoveries: 1.3
Stoppers: 0.5
Fouls received: 2.5
Valuation: 12.7

Sports career – Raquel Carrera:

Formation: Femenino Ourense
2015/19: Celta Zorka Recalvi (Junior and LF2)
2019/20: Kutxabank Araski (LF Endesa)
2020/23: Valencia Basket (LF Endesa)