Valencia Basket returns to the Copa de la Reina final to challenge defending champion Hozono Global Jairis. Coach Bernat Canut's team seeks back-to-back titles against a rival determined to reclaim the crown after two demanding victories that secured their spot in Sunday's final.
The great mystery of this Copa de la Reina will be resolved at 8:30 p.m. on Sunday with the crowning of its champion, but before that, the future winner must successfully navigate two hours of intense battle against a rival that will set the maximum level of difficulty required to emerge victorious.
FINAL: Valencia Basket vs Hozono Global Jairis
The path has not been easy for Valencia Basket, which has had to defeat Durán Maquinaria Ensino and Casademont Zaragoza to reach the final, but to claim the title, coach Rubén Burgos' team must face an even tougher challenge. On the other side of the court, the orange squad will face one of the most resilient teams in the league, Hozono Global Jairis, defending their status as reigning champions and doing so with the confidence that comes from knowing a path they already successfully traveled last season.
A team that will again be without the significant loss of Lou López and that learned to suffer during the semifinal matchup in which they had to endure 40 minutes of maximum intensity to resolve the "chess match" posed by Perfumerías Avenida. In that clash, the direction of Aina Ayuso and, especially the interior talent of Billie Massey were decisive in imposing their style. But those should not be the only concerns for Valencia Basket, which must pay close attention to Jairis' second unit where players like Alba Prieto are capable of making a difference with their talent.
This is why Rubén Burgos' team must display their best possible version on an afternoon when their style of play must impose itself on the court to increase their chances. And all of this without forgetting factors such as rebounding, turnover control, etc., which will play a fundamental role in a matchup that is expected to be extremely close.
The Key: The Importance of Point Guards. Six games have already been played in this Copa de la Reina and in all of them the team that managed to impose its style of play from the direction of the game has been able to secure victory. A role that on this occasion will fall to Anderson, Ayuso, Romero, Mataix... and will be decisive in being able to compete for the title. Whoever manages to impose their style for a greater number of minutes by controlling the opposing playmakers will have much already won.
The Fact: A Back-to-Back Champion Six Years Later? Tortosa, Godella, Ros Casares, or Perfumerías Avenida... There are not many teams throughout history that have been able to achieve what Hozono Global Jairis could accomplish this Sunday evening in Tarragona. Because six years later, the Alcantarilla squad could be the first to repeat the title in this decade following the trophy won last year in Zaragoza where coach Bernat Canut's team secured the first crown in their history.