Casademont Zaragoza reaches its highest peak and wins the bronze medal in the Euroleague

The perfect ending to a historic season . Casademont Zaragoza secured a hard-fought victory against Spar Girona (66-63) and finished their EuroLeague campaign with a well-deserved reward. Because, as they say, it’s easy to say but takes time to savor, Carlos Cantero’s team has earned an epic European bronze medal , reaching a new and, to date, the highest peak. All of this was achieved under the support of a packed Príncipe Felipe Arena, which for the third consecutive day of competition was filled to capacity with 10,828 spectators .

A third quarter where Casademont locked down their basket with intense and intelligent defense and shifted into high gear on offense was crucial in giving Cantero’s team a sufficient lead to withstand the pressure in the final quarter and secure a hard-fought victory. Carla Leite unleashed all the pent-up energy she had been carrying in this Final Six and was named the MVP for the red-and-white team, racking up 20 points, 6 assists, and a performance rating of 20 , and above all, proving fundamental in the game’s crucial moments.

Thus, despite not reaching the final for the European title, Casademont concludes its EuroLeague campaign this season with a bronze medal. Another epic success for a team that never stopped believing , from the qualifying round in Brno until this past Sunday. April 19, 2026, a day that will forever be etched in the history books of Casademont, Zaragoza, and Aragon.

THE MATCH

Far from being dwelling on the sadness and disappointment of the semifinal defeat, Prince Felipe once again donned his finest attire to support his team as they aimed to close out this season’s EuroLeague in style. Against this backdrop, and without Helena Pueyo due to injury, Carlos Cantero started the bronze medal game with a starting five comprised of Mariona Ortiz, Carla Leite , Veronika Vorackova , Nadia Fingall , and Merritt Hempe .

Thus, spurred on by a Red Tide that was pressing hard from the first minute of play, Cantero’s team, having learned their lesson from the last match, started the game with intensity and a succession of baskets against Girona that initially tied the score. Then Carla Leite appeared . The French player, unleashing all her pent-up frustration in this Final Six, scored two consecutive three-pointers , which, along with another three-pointer from Fingall , gave Casademont their first lead. Even so, a Catalan push in the final moments of the first quarter restored parity to the game ( 17-15 ).

Back on the court, Casademont, after four points from Gueye , saw their less expected players take center stage due to their limited participation in this Euroleague. First, Helena Oma led the charge with a three-pointer and a basket for the home team. Then, taking over from a Catalan player who left to a standing ovation from the entire Felipe Arena, Nerea Hermosa opened up a seven-point lead for the Aragonese side with four consecutive points.

Despite this, and ending Casademont’s winning streak, the focus shifted to where it should never have in a game: the officiating crew . An unsportsmanlike foul called on Mariona Ortiz was the trigger for Felipe, who was observing that while Cantero’s team had been called for ten fouls , Girona had only been called for four. This statistic was magnified by the fact that the Catalan team had attempted 14 free throws compared to Casademont’s zero in the entire first half. With this crucial factor and a clutch performance from Guerrero from three-point range in the final minutes, Íñiguez’s team managed to go into halftime with a 34-36 lead .

THE IMPORTANCE OF DEFENSE

After the halftime break, Casademont put the controversies aside, focused on the game , and went straight for the win. Cantero’s team opened the second half with a 10-2 run , and although Girona managed to tie the game again, the Aragonese side stepped up their offensive pressure even further and improved their performance with an intense and tenacious defense . Led by an incisive Leite, who finished the third quarter with nine points, the red-clad team closed out the penultimate quarter with another 13-4 run , giving them a lead of almost ten points ( 57-48 ).

In the crucial moments, the attacks stalled, a situation the Catalan team capitalized on to close the gap with a 2-7 run in five minutes. Despite this, a red-hot Leite secured a crucial three-point play that momentarily halted the Catalan comeback. After going two minutes without scoring, Casademont saw Girona pull within two points with just one minute remaining.

Even so, Cantero’s team managed to stop Girona’s attack on two key plays, and Leite sank one of two free throws to give them a three-point lead with 16 seconds remaining . Thus, despite the Catalan team having three three-pointers to tie the game, none of them fell, and Casademont secured the victory. This win represents a historic achievement for the Aragonese team, who claimed the European bronze medal ( 66-63 ).

TECHNICAL SPECIFICATIONS

Casademont Zaragoza (56): Mariona Ortiz (-), Veronika Vorackova (4), Carla Leite (20), Nadia Fingall (12) and Merritt Hempe (14), starting quintet. Ornella Bankolé (-), Laia Flores (-), Helena Oma (5), Nerea Hermosa (4), Aminata Gueye (7) and Stephanie Mawuli (-). 

Spar Girona (63): Juste Jocyte (9), Klara Holm (14), Laura Quevedo (5), Mariam Coulibaly (4), Chloe Bibby (17), starting quintet. Carolina Guerrero (6), Lola Pendande (6) and Ainhoa ​​López (2).

Referees : Josip Jurcevic, Natasa Dragojevic and Ioannis Agrafiotis. 

Partial scores : 17-15 / 17-21 / 23-12 / 9-15.

Incident : Match corresponding to the third and fourth place of the Euroleague Final Six played before 10,828 spectators at the Príncipe Felipe (Zaragoza).