“Un partido complicado. La última referencia es en el Europeo de 2025 y sufrimos mucho para ganar,” head coach Miguel Méndez told MARCA ahead of Tuesday’s opener.
Fresh off a bronze medal at the Mundial femenino, the Spanish women’s national basketball team begins its qualification campaign for the Eurobasket 2027 on Tuesday in Oviedo. Spain faces the Czech Republic at 20:30 local time (19:30 UTC) at the Palacio de los Deportes, starting the decisive second phase of the qualifiers.
Oviedo Hosts Group J Opener
The city of Oviedo serves as the starting point for Spain’s qualification path in Group J. MARCA reported that the team enters the tournament ranked third in the world following its September bronze medal finish in Berlin, which moved the national side up three spots in the FIBA rankings.
The qualification format divides the contenders into six groups for this second phase. According to Spanish Basketball Federation records, the top two teams from each group will advance directly to the final tournament. The 2027 EuroBasket will run from June 16 to 27 across four host nations: Belgium, Finland, Lithuania, and Sweden. Those four co-hosts have already secured automatic qualification, leaving 12 spots available through the group matches.
Méndez Names 14-Player Roster for November Qualifying Window
Méndez named a 14-player roster for the November qualifying window, retaining several veterans from the World Cup squad. Captain Alba Torrens leads the group alongside Raquel Carrera, Maite Cazorla, Paula Ginzo, Mariona Ortiz, and Helena Pueyo. RTVE reported that late roster adjustments forced the team to bring in Blanca Millán and Lola Pendande to replace injured Valencia Basket players Elena Buenavida and Marta Suárez.
For 20-year-old guard Iyana Martín, the match in Oviedo marks a homecoming. Martín developed through the youth ranks of Centro Asturiano and Oviedo Club de Baloncesto before moving to the Segle XXI academy in Barcelona, and she now plays for Spar Girona.
“Muchos estímulos, al final se juntan dos cosas muy importantes para mí, la selección española y mi casa, mi gente,” Martín told MARCA regarding her return to the capital of the Principality of Asturias.
Czech Republic Opposition
The Czech Republic arrives in Oviedo ranked 18th in the FIBA world rankings. MARCA noted that the visiting squad is missing several established players, including Eliška Joklová, Emma Čechová, Gabriela Andělová, Julia Reisingerová, and Alena Hanušová. However, the roster retains perimeter threats such as Casademont Zaragoza’s Veronika Voráčková, Petra Holešínská, and Julie Pospíšilová, under the direction of head coach Martin Basta.
Spain holds a 10-4 head-to-head advantage against the Czech Republic in international competition. The teams last met during the quarterfinals of the 2025 EuroBasket, where Spain earned an 88-81 victory.
Upcoming Qualifying Schedule
Tuesday’s fixture opens a three-game November window for Spain. Following the match against the Czech Republic, the national team travels to face Bulgaria on November 14 and concludes the first window against Croatia on November 17. The remaining three matches of the group stage will take place during the second qualifying window in February 2027.
