EuroBasket Women - Team profile: Spain

MADRID (EuroBasket Women) - Always a bridesmaid, never a bride. That could be one way of summing the performances of Spain's women's team over the years.

The Spaniards have not won an international tournament since taking the gold medal at the European Championship in 1993.

There is, however, another way to look at Spain and that is as one of the most consistent teams in international basketball for more than a decade.

Consider this: since 2001, they have finished inside the top five in nine of 11 tournaments and have qualified for every FIBA World Championship, Olympic Games and EuroBasket played over that period of time.

Spain have become almost synonymous with the bronze medal, having won it at EuroBasket 2001, 2003, 2005 and 2009 and at last year's FIBA World Championship in the Czech Republic.

Perhaps their most agonising defeat in recent years came at the hands of Russia in the final of EuroBasket 2007 in Chiety, Italy.

After a slow start that saw them trail 44-24 at the break, Spain rallied furiously in the second half but came up short and had to settle for a silver medal.

Looking at them in light of this, it's fair to say that the Spaniards are owed a breakthrough.

Nowadays, head coach Jose Hernandez can still count on veterans Amaya Valdemoro and Anna Montanana to lead by example, while Alba Torrens and Sancho Lyttle continue their growth in becoming the future of this team.

Spain's mix of experience and promising young talent makes them a side to be reckoned with for top honours at EuroBasket in Poland and qualifying for next year's Olympics should be almost a given.

FIBA