Attention is already focused on the Super Cup and Saturday's game against Valencia Basket, but first the team must continue building its form ahead of the fight for the season's first title in Torrejón de Ardoz. And what better way to do so than against a Balearic team with a high-quality roster that has already played two preseason games.
The red-and-whites arrive after beating Greek side Athinaikos twice, one of their future EuroLeague opponents, and suffering just one defeat, against Inversus Gernika in a game marked by the Aragoneses' absences and the reduced rotation available to Carlos Cantero.
Most of the roster will be available for this game, pending Nadia Fingall's return after she was waived by the Golden State Valkyries. The only unavailable players are Ornella Bankolé, who remains in the WNBA, and Ndour, who will not join the rest of the team until January.
THE OPPONENT: AZUL MARINO PALMA
The Balearic side is the project arriving in the top flight with the greatest potential for growth, backed by an investment aimed at reaching the upper tier of the competition from the outset. Proof of this is the presence on its roster of one of the best players in Spanish basketball history, Alba Torrens, who recently won bronze with the national team in Germany.
However, the Mallorcan is not the only top player on the roster coached by Alberto Antuña. The Balearic team has signed Klara Holm, a EuroLeague-level point guard; Sika Koné, Belén Arrojo, Kayla Alexander, a high-level center and former Valencia Basket player; and Alima Dembélé, among others. In addition, one of the players remaining on the roster is former Casademont Zaragoza player Carmen Grande.
Azul Marino arrive after suffering a defeat in their preseason opener against Mirai Euskotren (73-53), but in their previous game they comfortably defeated Alba Berlin (82-67). This will be the final preseason game for an Aragonese team that must continue fine-tuning its systems and physical condition ahead of a season that promises to be exciting once again.
