SOPRON, Hungary – There were tears at the buzzer as hosts Hungary lost to Spain 73-72 in the FIBA Women’s Olympic Qualification Tournament in Sopron, missing out on a spot in Paris 2024.
After holding a massive lead, the home side looked set to end their 44-year wait to return to the Olympics, but Spain rallied and Hungary’s drought continued.
The win meant jubilation for Canada, who thought they wouldn’t make it to France, but Spanish coach Victor Lapena and his players will end up playing in Paris in 2024. With this victory, Spain decided to break through.
turning point: Spain went on a 17-0 run in the second half that turned the game on its head and brought it back into contention heading into the remaining period. Before that, Hungary was coasting towards the French capital.
TCL Player of the Game: Maria Conde came up with her best game in a while wearing the Spanish vest after sinking a perfect 16 points from the open floor.
Statistics don’t lie: Spain scored 22 points off turnovers and had an impressive 16 steals to defeat Hungary.
Conclusion: By the time Spain took to the court, they had already confirmed their participation in Paris in 2024, and that may have had an effect on the first half, where they weren’t at their best. However, they showed their quality after the break and pulled off an epic come-from-behind victory.
Hungary had dreams, but now they have turned to dust. We can’t hope for anything more than to beat Japan and win by 22 points against the second-best team in Europe. But perhaps nerves and inexperience on all fronts took their toll, and they saw their great work disappear spectacularly. They’re going to have a hard time getting through this.
they said: “What a moment. A few days ago we came here with different feelings, but we believed. Now I’m very happy and very proud of the team. Success is… Because I think sometimes you fall down and you get back up again.” This team did that. ” Spanish star Alba Torrence
“It was tough to play three games against three very good teams. I’m very happy with my team, the players, the federation and Spanish women’s basketball. Overall I’m happy. But I’m really disappointed for the Hungarian team. It’s really, really difficult for them.” Spain national team coach Miguel Mendes
“It’s really hard to find words after this game because this game was in our hands and the WR was up by 22 points and we lost by one point. It hurts a lot. , I’m very disappointed. We put our hearts on the court, and I feel like we did everything. However, they lost and could not qualify. ” Hungary national team forward Virag Kiss
“It’s very difficult to say anything. We played great in the first half, but we were behind in the second half. It was heartbreaking. This is sport. At the end of the day, we’re not going to go to the Olympics, but that’s a shame. “Our dream.” ”
Hungarian national team head coach Norbert Székely
FIBA