BUENOS AIRES (FIBA Women’s AmeriCup) - From almost missing out on the tournament due to a lower back injury, to being the Argentine team’s hero. This week, Agostina Burani went through a stressful roller coaster ride. But, in the end, it was all worth it. The center played the best game in the history of her participation in the national team, achieving a double-double as the encounter’s leading figure. Burani achieved 26 points, 12 rebounds and 3 blocks in an unusual 48-44 showdown against Puerto Rico.

Now Argentina will return to the world stage at Spain 2018. Waiting for them at the AmeriCup Final is the powerful Canada team.

Apart from the injuries she was dragging along, everything came to a halt during the second quarter, when Burani fell to the ground with a sprained left ankle in the middle of her stellar performance. Her painful gestures as she was returned to the bench without being able to step appropriately concerned everyone. However, she returned during the second half and helped a team that struggled during the whole game, as did Puerto Rico, thus leaving the game to chance.

“Joy. I don't have another word to describe it. The truth is that we didn’t play this game well, but we had to win no matter what it took. We didn't portray the high level that we were showing before. We were very nervous because we’ve been expectantly waiting to qualify. I still can't believe we’ll be at the World Cup,” declared the game's outstanding player, who suffered an injury at a friendly match against Canada a day before starting the tournament.

“I know that I wasn't in the last couple of games because of my injury, but pain couldn’t exist today. I had to be here no matter what and win,” she added. She also explained the reasons behind this achievement: “We're here because we gave it our all in the court. I think we had the best defense in the tournament and we put our hearts in to achieve this. Now we'll have to enjoy the Final. It's not every day that you get to be in one. On top of that, we're at home, with our people, our family and friends.”

The tears running down Coach Cristian Santander’s face spoke for themselves. A great weight had just been lifted off his shoulders after all of the obstacles his team had to overcome to reach the finish line. His suffering was even deeper because they weren't playing well.

“Every team has a bad game during tournaments. No one escapes that fact. We’d been playing well, so I started to think that the bad game could come around when it shouldn’t. They were worthy rivals. We didn't play well, we weren't on the offense, we weren’t anywhere, but we fought it. I think we won because we deserved it,” the coach explained.

Santander also commended his players: “This group represents the sacrifice being put into women's basketball to go forward even if, in many cases, it's left forgotten,” he stated. He also talked about Burani: “She deserved a performance like this. She almost missed the tournament by 24 hours. She suffered during the whole competition because of her back and waist, but when we needed her the most, she did the game.”

Santander still remembers all the criticism they received failing to qualify for the Olympic Games in Rio, but he has no hard feelings. “We struggled during the play-offs in France. I'm certain that the criticism was in a sense realistic and true. I never viewed it as something negative, because in the end we were left out of the tournament. It’s understandable; we're a country that like to be on top and we take winning very seriously. What I would like though, is that the team be praised with the same intensity in which they were criticized at the moment. This team has an enormous heart,” he asserted.

The Argentine squad will participate in their ninth FIBA Basketball World Cup. They did not play in 2014. Their highest position has been the ninth place at Brazil 2006.

This Sunday at 9:35 PM (host country hour), Argentina will seek to achieve the feat of winning Canada at this AmeriCup’s defining game.

FIBA