Coming off their quarterfinal defeat to Canada at the 2025 FIBA 3x3 World Cup in Ulaanbaatar, Mongolia, Spain’s Vega Gimeno says the team is in high spirits – despite the disappointment.
Silver medallists at the Paris 2024 Olympics, the rise to the top can oftentimes make it more difficult to succeed a second time, she says, especially when “you’re no longer the underdog”.
“For us, it was a tough tournament,” Vega continues. “Having come off the silver medal at the Olympic Games, we had high expectations for the World Cup. That’s not always a good thing. We have never surpassed the quarterfinals stage at the World Cup, so that was disappointing. Canada played a strong game. They had lost two games in their pool – so it was a big match for both teams.”
On reflection, Vega is in a philosophical mood. The Spanish men’s team’s maiden World Cup gold medal in Mongolia took the edge off the women’s defeat. “It was an amazing feeling for us,” she explains. “There was a mix of feelings after the Canada defeat, but we were really happy for the guys. They played amazing basketball.”
That’s the key to a successful team – to brush yourself down and roll with the defeats. “We live with the disappointment of losing but you can’t just continue to be disappointed,” Vega goes on. “We must enjoy the journey and continue to prepare for the Women’s Series and the Euro Cup in September. The World Cup didn’t go the way we wanted but it will come again. We just want to keep improving and enjoy playing. That’s the road to success.”
“All the good teams have a way of winning and staying humble. As a player, you always have to be prepared for everything.” Vega Gimeno, Spain
Her humility has been an important attribute ever since she started playing basketball at the age of 15, at her high school in Valencia. A professional 5x5 basketball player by 19, Vega has seen success in both disciplines, before blending her passions for both codes.
It was only when the national team coach came calling during a summer spell playing in Argentina, when Vega turned her sights to the 3x3 game in 2014 – making her elite debut at the inaugural Euro Cup the same year, a tournament she later helped Spain to win twice in 2021 and 2024.
“For me, 3x3 basketball gave me the desire to keep playing and to keep improving,” Vega says.
“There are only four on each team, so it allowed me to make strong connections with the players. Throughout the sport, there’s a family feeling. It teaches you to be respectful of each other and learn the right things to say and when to say them. In 5x5 basketball, you need this perhaps 50% of the time, whereas in 3x3 it’s 100% of the time.“The successful team is always the one willing to experience the ups and downs,” she continues. “We won many medals, including an Olympic medal, but it’s true we went through many difficult moments, including not qualifying for the Tokyo 2020 Olympics. That’s the key to our success in the Spanish national team. Our chemistry has helped us through the good and bad times.”
This was epitomized, Vega recalls, during Spain’s Paris 2024 qualifying match versus Canada in May last year, when Spain’s Gracia Alonso De Armiño sealed victory at the buzzer with a remarkable overhead shot that sent her teammates into euphoria.
“It was an unbelievable moment,” Vega says. “I remember every second of the segment, possibly because I have rewatched it many times. I remember that my whole life stopped when I saw the ball leave her hands and go into the air“ What must have only been a few seconds, for me, felt like five minutes. When the ball went in, we just looked at each other in amazement. I think it was one of the happiest moments in our lives. Having failed to reach the Tokyo 2020 Games, to finally make it to the Olympics in Paris, it was a huge moment for us. We were crying.”
While medalling at the Olympics is a career highlight, Vega looks back on her career with a sense of pride for other reasons, too – having taken a front-row seat to the rise of the Spanish women’s 3x3 team.
“Through the years, the Spanish federation has invested more money into the discipline, into the players and training camps. Now, it’s more professional and I am very happy that I have played a part in achieving that.”
Now retired from the 5x5 game, Vega says she is putting all her focus into basketball’s short format and is determined to continue improving her own game, at the age of 34, and inspiring the next generation of Spanish basketball stars. “I’ve grown hand-in-hand with 3x3 basketball,” she continues. “Ten years ago, the 3x3 game was not as physical, whereas now you can tell everyone is very prepared. The bodies are built specifically for 3x3 basketball. Finally, we’re making it as a professional discipline as dedicated 3x3 players. I always tell the younger players: you need to stay humble and understand that every team can beat you. Only once you understand that, are you going to start winning games. You can never take your wins for granted. "Right now, in the women’s game, it is really competitive. When we look at the way that Mongolia – a team which hadn’t achieved a medal at a World Cup – dominated in front of their home crowd to win the silver, I think they are a great example. All the good teams have a way of winning and staying humble. As a player, you always have to be prepared for everything.”