The women's basketball classic arrived early. In matchday 2, Valencia Basket and Meins Avenida faced off. The Valencia side had not started the league well after losing to newly promoted Azulmarino in Mallorca. Meanwhile, Avenida won their opener against Cadí La Seu at the Würzburg Silvia Domínguez.
First Quarter: 23-18
For their debut at the Roig Arena, Valencia Basket took the court with: Alexis Peterson, Elena Buenavida, Elizabeth Balogun, María Araújo and Kamila Borkowska. On the other side, Raquel Romo started with: Claudia Soriano, Mawuli, Fassina, Emma Johansson and Mikulasikova. The game found its rhythm immediately. Mikulasikova hit a three-pointer to put Avenida ahead, quickly answered by a fast-break basket from Buenavida. After a Borkowska bucket three minutes into the game, Valencia took the lead for the first time. Peterson extended the advantage with another three-pointer. The intensity remained high, and by the midpoint of the quarter, Mawuli's corner three made it 13-11.
With 4 minutes on the clock, Marta Suárez made her debut. She entered Javi Torralba's first rotation with a lineup featuring the very young Isa Hernández, Leti Romero, Alisia Jenkins, Takács-Kiss and the Asturian player herself. Shortly after, following a Jenkins bucket, Avenida called timeout: 19-13. The Salamanca response was immediate: a three-pointer from Marta Canella. Baskets from Pueyo and Peterson closed out the first quarter: 23-18.
Second Quarter: 38-31
Avenida started the second quarter stronger. Soriano and Mawuli cut into the deficit, and Isa Hernández answered back. The Salamanca team worked the offense, disrupting the home team's defense and getting easy buckets for Mikulasikova. The score remained tight, with Mawuli even tying the game at 29. Valencia continued to accumulate turnovers, which the visitors exploited perfectly to stay in contention.
Alisia Jenkins came to the rescue, using her intensity on both ends of the floor to create some separation between the teams. Valencia capitalized on the momentum and reached their game high: 36-29, +7. After the timeout, Davinia Ángel and Leti Romero scored to complete the 38-31 final.
Third Quarter: 59-45
Although Avenida started with much more energy, it didn't last long, and the game entered a lull in terms of pace. Pueyo, Marta Suárez and Kiss extended the lead to +12 for the first time. After that, Avenida called another timeout. Five minutes later, Valencia's advantage continued to grow: 51-37, a three-pointer from Marta Suárez.
Torralba's new Valencia Basket began showing signs of the recent teams under Rubén Burgos: between the second and third quarters, they put the game away and displayed incredible control. With 2:24 on the clock, Valencia held a 16-point lead and Avenida's desperation was palpable. The quarter ended with a similar margin after a Roumy basket: 59-45.
Fourth Quarter: 82-57
Araújo opened the quarter with a three-pointer. Valencia kept pushing until they reached +20. However, a Salamanca run forced Javi Torralba to call a timeout as a precaution: 66-50. Although the intensity and scoring increased, the Valencia team maintained complete control of the game. The Roig Arena became a celebration in the final minutes. The band accompanied the finish of the team that secured their first win of the season. The game's standout performer was clear. Marina Bleda, who had a strong preseason, got quality minutes, including a three-pointer in the final seconds (just like in the friendly against Estudiantes). The game finally ended 82-57, injecting confidence into the orange team after their trip to Mallorca.