Amaya Valdemoro

Amaya Valdemoro is a former Spanish basketball player, unanimously considered the best basketball player in the history of Spain. Born in Alcobendas, Madrid, in 1976, her career was marked by physical power, an indomitable competitive character and a dedication that led her to achieve an unprecedented record, being a pioneer for Spanish women's sports at a global level.

Valdemoro made her debut in the Spanish Women's League at the age of 16, but her international breakthrough came in 1998 when she entered the WNBA, the professional league in the United States. With the Houston Comets, she became the first Spanish basketball player (both male and female) to win a ring in the U.S. league, and the only one to win it three times in a row (1998, 1999 and 2000). This milestone established her as a dominant figure worldwide, playing also in elite leagues in Russia and Spain, where she won multiple leagues and Queen's Cups, as well as a Euroleague.

With the Spanish Basketball National Team, Valdemoro holds the record of 258 international appearances and is one of the most important players of the team's golden age. She won a total of five medals in eight Eurobasket appearances, including Gold at Eurobasket 2013 (her last dance as a player) and a Bronze medal at the 2010 World Championship. She was named MVP of Eurobasket 2007 and chosen in the Ideal Five of the 2002 World Championship in China.

Retired in 2013, her legacy goes beyond titles. She was the most international Spanish athlete in history (a record later surpassed by Laia Palau) and remained six consecutive years among the top five European players according to FIBA. Her impact on the sport was recognized with the Gold Medal of the Royal Order of Sports Merit and her induction into the FIBA Hall of Fame in 2023. Currently, she continues to be linked to basketball as a sports commentator and collaborator of the Spanish Basketball Federation, fighting for gender equality in sport.