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may 08 2026Both teams won on their home courts, but Valencia Basket (+1) and Perfumerías Avenida (+2) secured only minimal victories that leave both semifinal series wide open heading into the return games. Spar Girona and Casademont Zaragoza will look to capitalize on home-court advantage in their respective matchups to earn spots in the championship final.
The names of the two teams that will compete for the title will be determined Sunday night after the first two legs of semifinals that couldn't have had a more evenly matched start, with both home teams winning by the slimmest of margins.
Spar Girona arrived at the Roig Arena with injury concerns, but last-minute news brought good tidings for a team that would recover Laura Quevedo for the cause, with Mariam Coulibaly feeling comfortable to help from the paint. An early momentum that marked the first quarter for the Girona side (0-5), but it didn't intimidate Valencia Basket in the slightest, who quickly asserted themselves with an 11-0 run to take control of the game. Rubén Burgos' squad took the lead, but the matchup would remain locked in that initial back-and-forth exchange for many minutes, with Burgos' team trying to extend their advantage through Fiebich while Arnau Ferreres' squad resisted thanks to five three-pointers that allowed them to reach halftime ahead (31-34).
The game seemed to be decided by runs, and Valencia Basket relied on them after the break with small bursts of consecutive plays at different moments in the third quarter to establish the foundation for their first significant lead of the game. The first and last, as the +10 advantage the Valencia side brought into the final three minutes would dissolve after an effective timeout from Roberto Íñiguez with back-to-back three-pointers from Cornelius and Guerrero that produced an 0-11 run with just seconds remaining. Leticia Romero's final action would give the home team the victory, but leaving the series wide open for the return leg in Fontajau (67-66).
Parallel to the finish at the Roig Arena, Salamanca would tip off with a game script that would ultimately prove very similar to the Valencia capital matchup. Perfumerías Avenida would establish early differences from beyond the arc with opening shots that allowed them to take control of the game. The blue wave enjoyed their team's play and that helped the crowd fully engage in the contest. Early three-pointers from Laia Flores and Barkolé would allow Casademont Zaragoza to level the playing field once more, but again, the outside accuracy of the Salamanca side would establish a +9 lead that Helena Oma had to work hard to reduce by halftime (39-36).
The halftime break sat well with Casademont Zaragoza, with Mariona Ortiz leading their comeback attempts from three-point range to establish the first red-and-white leads of the game. An momentum that wouldn't find continuity as the minutes passed, awakening the fury of a Salamanca squad that would produce an 11-0 run that seemed to invite optimism in the stands. Perfumerías Avenida reached as much as 10 points ahead in the final stretch of the game, facing a rival that refused to give up and managed to get back into the fight, tying the contest seconds before the end. A coin flip with 40 minutes ahead and Iyana Martín's accuracy on their final possession would mark the small difference on the scoreboard heading into the return leg (69-67).
