BUENOS AIRES (FIBA Women’s AmeriCup) - After Puerto Rico’s first victory in history against Cuba, cellphones appear at center court to capture a once in a lifetime moment. Selfies, video and Caribbean rhythms to celebrate the women's team’s success of reaching their first-ever semi-finals in a tournament of this importance. It was a tight 70-67 at the end of the Group Phase, with a positive 3-1 record. Now, the Puerto Ricans must patiently wait for Saturday.

Point guard Pamela Rosado (17 points, three rebounds and two assists) is one of the smaller players in terms of height, but her determination makes her great. When interviewed, she demonstrates her talent to speak as well: “We were a bit underestimated after we couldn’t bring home the Centrobasket gold medal. That refocused and motivated us to be where we are today. We're 12 hard-working warriors,” she acknowledges.

“We're a united and complete team. Anyone can score and do what they know to do within the paint. There are no star players. Putting our hearts into the game no matter the opponent, defending and fast-breaking are the key elements due to which we are in this position,” said the player for the Puerto Rican town of Morovis’ team.

Coach Gerardo Batista Santiago is also very satisfied with being a part of the history of Puerto Rico’s national team —which on Saturday will try to qualify for their first FIBA Basketball World Cup. “We work to try to win the best teams. This victory is very important, it's an emotional moment for us. We made it at last. We’d been close to Cuba during recent years, but we could never beat them,” he points out.

For now, they have secured their ticket to the Pan American Games. However, their dream of doing something bigger remains. “I told the players that we have nothing to lose. What we're doing is planning our future. This is a step forward. We must maintain this mindset because we're not afraid of anybody,” the coach assured.

Puerto Rico has a clear path ahead to continue building a future that brings them joy.

FIBA