The departure comes after the Catalan point guard informed the club of her decision to terminate early a contract that ran until the end of the current season. Accordingly, and in response to her request, both parties have agreed to end their relationship by mutual consent several months ahead of schedule.
Mariona will leave the Aragonese capital and a club with which she has achieved unimaginable heights on December 30. She has been an emblem and symbol of everything built in the women's program over these years. Until that date arrives, the point guard will remain part of Carlos Cantero's squad and continue competing with a team whose role or function may be affected by her upcoming departure.
The point guard is the on-court symbol of what Casademont has built in recent years. Photo: FIBA
"Basket Zaragoza thanks Mariona Ortiz for her work, professionalism and contribution throughout all these years at the Club, as well as for her commitment through December 30, and wishes her the very best of luck in the professional challenges she will begin after that date," the Aragonese club said. It must now make a move to undertake the difficult task of finding a replacement for Mariona who can complete the point guard position alongside Laia Flores.
A VERY TOUGH BLOW FOR THE PROJECT
Mariona Ortiz is the face, voice and public image of Casademont both on and off the court. Since arriving in 2022, the Catalan point guard has become the leading figure of the team's project and, alongside Carlos Cantero, has continued to develop year after year, improving to the point of even breaking into the ranks of Europe's best teams. At the same time, she has earned the immense affection of the Marea Roja.
As a result, the captain's departure will leave a difficult-to-fill void in the middle of the season and will therefore have a major impact on the sporting goals of a team that wants to continue competing for titles in such a special year as its 25th anniversary, when it will host both the Copa de la Reina and the EuroLeague Final Six. Her departure is a devastating blow for the Aragonese team, both on the sporting and emotional fronts.
That is because the player from Calella will be extremely difficult to replace on the court, as few point guards reach Mariona's level or are so well established within a system that already revolves around her. Emotionally, it is even more difficult because Carlos Cantero is losing his on-court extension and the leader of a roster that she has carried on her shoulders when necessary, embodying the fighting spirit since her arrival.
