Oma is part of a list of nine preselected players, from which the four who will ultimately represent Spain at the continental tournament will be chosen. The competition will be held in Antwerp, with Spain playing the first phase on Friday, September 11, in Group B alongside Hungary and Slovenia. If Spain advances from this stage, in which the top two teams from each group qualify, the title playoffs will take place on Sunday, September 13, and Spain would face a team from Group D in the quarterfinals. Group D consists of Germany, Poland and Belgium.
As a result, the call-up means Oma will have to interrupt preseason with Casademont, which will continue preparing for the new season during that period. So far, the team has been unable to count on Mariona Ortiz, Veronika Vorácková, Nadia Fingall, Ornella Bankolé and Astou Ndour. In addition, the Catalan forward’s absence could extend beyond September 9, depending on Spain’s final decision. If she is ultimately selected among the four players, she will have to remain with the national team until the end of its participation in Antwerp.
Oma has been a regular in the national team’s call-ups this summer. Photo: FIBA
A REGULAR WITH THE NATIONAL TEAM
Oma enters this latest call-up after an especially intense summer with Spain in the 3x3 format. She has become a regular on the lists of the national team coached by Sandra Ygueravide and has taken part in several tournaments and enjoyed a number of successes in recent months. At the beginning of July, she won her first title with the national team in Bucharest and later played a leading role in Bordeaux, where Spain were crowned champions and the Casademont forward was named tournament MVP. The latest stop, in Hungary last week, ended with Spain in third place.
Alongside Oma, the full list of nine preselected players is completed by the four players from the World Cup: Txell Alarcón, Gracia Alonso de Armiño, Ceci Muhate and Alba Prieto; the 2021 Paris champion, Marta Canella; the 2024 Vienna champion, Juana Camilión; Spain’s current top-ranked player in the FIBA rankings, Ainhoa Gervasini; and senior national team debutant Marta García, who has already been European champion and MVP at U18 level and joins the squad after her experience with Spain’s women’s 5x5 team.
