Italbasket women, Andrea Capobianco enjoys historic success against Spain

The women&#8217s national basketball team defeated Spain 77-61 on Friday at the latter&#8217s home, at the La Linea tournament: a historic victory for the Azzurre, who hadn&#8217t beaten the Roja in twenty-four years (success for the National Experimental Team at the 2001 Mediterranean Games) and at the senior level hadn&#8217t won against the Spaniards since even farther back in 1998.

With 18 points to her credit, Laura Spreafico was the match&#8217s best scorer, followed by Olbis Futo André&#8217s 13 and Lorela Cubaj&#8217s 11. La Linea&#8217s was also game number 50 on the national team for Jasmine Keys, while Adele Cancelli made her outright debut and Carlotta Zanardi scored her first Azzurri points, signing 3. On the sidelines of the match, Italbasket women&#8217s coach Andrea Capobianco said he was enormously satisfied with a result that confirms the Azzurre at the highest level after the bronze medal at EuroBasket 2025.

“I think that when a coach sees his team play as we did today he can only be satisfied – said the Azzurri coach – although this does not mean that there is not still substantial room for improvement. On one thing for example we need to grow, the ability to enter the area with passes and one on one when aggressiveness rises on the court”.

“Holding Spain to 61 points is an excellent result also on the defensive level, those who play with the jersey of Italy must be ready to wait for their opportunity and also today all of them gave something. We return to the hotel definitely happy, team and staff” Capobianco then concluded. Italy will return to the court on Saturday in the second and final match of the tournament for the Azzurre, against France. Sunday will close the challenge between the transalpine women and Spain.