"We will see what capacity we have to handle pressure of playing at home," says Spain's Mondelo
TENERIFE (FIBA Women's Basketball World Cup 2018) - Spain head coach Lucas Mondelo is waiting like everybody else to see if his team will handle the possible burden of being FIBA Women's Basketball World Cup 2018 host nation.
With excitement likely to be hitting a fever pitch when the tournament tips off in Tenerife during September, the play-caller has confessed there are no guarantees the 2014 Finalists will handle expectations this time around.
Sorteo 🏆 #FIBAWWC
— SeBaloncesto - FEB (@baloncestofeb) February 6, 2018
🎙 Al habla con el seleccionador @Lmondelo
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"Until now, we have dealt well with pressure [in other touraments] and we have been lucky in matches that we could have lost during decisive moments," Mondelo explained to Mundo Deportivo.
"But this team has created so many expectations with the history we have made for ourselves and so that weighs on us. However, the main problem is that this year, we will have to chew on a kind of pressure that we have never had - that of playing at home. So we'll see what capacity we have to handle this."
He continued: "It's going to be a very equal World Cup, you can be in or out of it because of a basket that drops or does not drop. Our goal is to reach the Quarter-Finals and get into that game in the best mental and physical disposition, then take it from there."
Mondelo has made it his trademark to deliver historical firsts during every step of his career, with both club and country, so the bar has been raised higher than ever.
At least he has a rich talent pool to choose from in pursuit of more success with Spain. He has also had the luxury of resting players during the recent FIBA Women’s EuroBasket 2019 Qualifiers, when the reigning champions moved to 4-0 with wins against Ukraine and Bulgaria.
"Having the [depth of] selection gives us peace of mind and in this window, players like Anna Cruz, Cristina Ouvina and Sancho Lyttle have been left out [due to injury]," said Mondelo.
Al habla con el Coach @Lmondelo, contento tras una nueva victoria.
— SeBaloncesto - FEB (@baloncestofeb) February 13, 2018
🎙️ SUS DECLARACIONES ⬇https://t.co/ElVh2xq4N2#SelFEM 🇪🇸 #SomosEquipo pic.twitter.com/t3RnExdu3O
"We have also given rest to Astou Ndour and Silvia Domínguez, so we know we have a good group."
Mondelo is also acutely aware that it's difficult to focus intensely on the FIBA Women’s Basketball World Cup, since the business end of the European club season has arrived.
He mused: "Now comes the hardest part of the season, in which everyone plays in their National and European leagues and people are very focused on their clubs.
"Now what we will do is to track the physically and medical condition of the players during May, in order to know how they are doing and to plan the summer work and camps."
Mondelo himself will be throwing himself into trying to successfully defend the EuroLeague Women title with Dynamo Kursk - as well as winning a first Russian Premier League title.
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