BERLIN (Germany) - Spain claimed their fourth FIBA Women's Basketball World Cup medal in five editions as Iyana Martin signed off her stellar tournament debut to take her team past Germany 81-58 in the Third Place Game. The guard finished the contest with another excellent showing which underlined her status as one of the best young ballers in women's global hoops.
Martin produced a performance efficiency valuation of 28 to take TCL Player of the Game honors after producing 22 points, 9 assists and 4 rebounds.
It was also her third 20-point game in the competition, the most by any player aged under 21 years old this century.
Meanwhile Martin also became the third youngest player in history to hit the 100 point milestone over the last two decades - only Candace Parker and Liz Cambage reaching the landmark earlier.
Teammate Raquel Carrera also made an impact, scoring a competition-best 15 points, while adding 5 rebounds for a 21 efficiency rating. Awa Fam controlled the paint with 10 points, 9 rebounds and 3 assists, finishing with a 20 efficiency rating.
"I think all of that we passed all tournament; we lost one game, we were competitive all the rest of the games," said Carrera. "I think we improved during all the tournament. We have amazing players. We have 12 players that are always going to the court, giving all the effort.
For us, this medal is for the 12 players and it's amazing.
Having missed out altogether on the last edition in 2022, Spain are back on the podium steps having made the 2014 Final and taken silver, either side of bronze medals in 2010 and 2018.
The result also witnessed captain Alba Torrens joining an exclusive club. She became only the third player in history to secure four World Cup medals, along with USA duo Sue Bird and Breanna Stewart. "I am so happy and this happiness goes beyond me," explained Torrens.
"It goes for the team and for Miguel [Mendez] and the staff, for Elisa [Aguilar] the President and the Federation. "I am so proud of this team. I have no more words. It's a real team and I am so thankful to be so proud at this moment."
Torrens also took time to pay tribute to Spain's young guns Martin and Awa Fam who both played leading roles in their success.
"They showed up already on the court and showed their talent," added Torrens.
"They showed their character and a maturity that is not common "They also showed how to play as a team. I think that they are shining right now and they will keep doing it and I am just so happy to see it and to be enjoying it with them," concluded the veteran.
The young guns had something to say as well, especially Fam who, earlier in the competition, had mentioned she wanted to win a medal for and with Torrens
"I'm super happy for me, but I'm super happy for her because she really deserve this," Fam said. "She's an amazing player. She's an amazing person. All the tournament, she was telling us 'We need to really trust each other. We need to trust that we're gonna get a medal. Just enjoy on court. Just be grateful. Be on court, fight every, every game.'
"So I'm super happy for her because she really deserve this."
Now that they've locked this medal in, the future looks as bright as ever for Spain with their young core intact. Carrera will only be 28 by the time the next Women's World Cup tips off in Tokyo in 2030. Martin and Fam will only be 24.
"I think that we have a really amazing future," said Fam. "I think that we are players that we are not thinking about the future. We're thinking about the present.
"That's the important thing because we are thinking about practice every day. We are thinking about just improving every day, so that's why we have that confidence.
"I think that we just want to compete, we just want to enjoy. We really hope, and I wish to be at that World Cup, but this [medal] is the one thing that we really know right now.
"We're just going to work hard to be there and win another medal.
A key part of that potential run would certainly be Fam - as well as Iyana Martin, who seemed to just play better and better after each game in Berlin.
"She's amazing," said Fam. "She didn't surprise me because she can do this in every game. She's just a leader on offense, on defense. She just looking for the others, looking for the best offenses or the best advantages.
"I'm super proud of her. She just need to keep going because she's, she's gonna get whatever she wants and whatever she wants, really."
Carrera also shined light on young Martin.
"She's amazing," said Carrera. "She's a very young player, but she always makes plays like amazing. For us, she's not young. She's like a veteran player."
And with players like Martin, Fam, as well as Carrera herself being only 25, the future seems bright for Spain.
"I think we have very young players coming here and we have a lot of chances at other tournaments to give even more."
FIBA