Monasterevin's Melia savouring stunning European run

For Monasterevin woman, Claire Melia, it’s all about savouring the experience of, what has so far proven, a remarkable adventure for her and BAXI Ferrol in this season’s FIBA Women’s EuroCup campaign.

The Ireland senior international has played an integral part in the Spanish side defying the odds in this, their debut season in the competition, as they secured their place in the final following a 156-136 two-legged aggregate victory over 2023 winners, LDLC ASVEL Feminin in the penultimate rounds earlier this month.

It marked the latest step on what has been an unforgettable journey for the team that started back in September when they carded a resounding victory over Italian outfit, Battipaglia in the qualifiers.

That propelled them through to the pool stages in which they finished level on points with Group J winners, Galatasaray before then securing a comfortable victory over Castors Braine to reach the last 16 of the competition.

There they served up a thrilling victory over Hungarian side, DVTK before surmounting the challenge of Dinamo Sassari of Italy to secure their place in the last four of the competition where they got the better of ASVEL, helped, no end, by the 31-point advantage they had carved out in the opening leg at home.

Completing the job after a tough night in the return match in Lyon, Ferrol can now look forward to the two-leg decider against 2015 winners, Villeneuve-d’Ascq LM, starting Wednesday night in Spain and concluding the following week in France.

It has been a truly remarkable journey for Ferrol and Melia, who only joined the Galician side last summer when head coach, Lino López came knocking.

And the Kildare woman, who will make history for Irish basketball by becoming the first Irish female player to line out in a FIBA European club basketball final, is determined to savour a season that has surprised both herself and her team mates.

“When I was coming over to Spain I had the mindset of, ‘well if I get in for a few minutes I'll be lucky so just try your best” recalled Melia. “It’s all you can do, because it's a professional setup. It's different to what it is at home.

“Now everyone's shocked that we're in the EuroCup Final. I think everyone's shocked that we got out of the group stages. We didn't really set any goals at the start of the season and so we just tried to enjoy every game, work hard and see what happens. It's been amazing.

“We were out playing in Italy, thinking it's great to get the chance to play in the qualifiers and when we went on to the groups, we said ‘it's great to get the chance to play in that’.

“Only this time last year, me and daddy were looking at London Lions playing in the EuroCup Final and saying, jeez, that's great. Then a year later, we're there now. I just never expected it” she told The Kildare Nationalist.

Melia certainly led the charge for Ferrol in a stunning 93-62 semi-final first-leg victory over ASVEL, emerging the game’s top scorer on 27 points, as the Spanish side laid the foundation for a victory that leaves them just one round away from becoming only the second Spanish side to lift the EuroCup, with Valencia Basket having gone all the way to the coveted prize back in 2021.

“Going into the first leg of that semi-final against Asvel, we were just thinking, ‘we’ll wait and see what happens. Just stick with them, or get up by five points, or only lose by basket’.

“But at halftime we were up by 19 and we were just thinking, ‘great, we just keep pushing on, keep our defence up and the offence will follow’.

“Going into the second game, there probably was a bit more pressure, with people saying, ‘oh, you're in the final’, and we’re thinking, ‘no, we're not yet’. Anything can happen in basketball and at one point they we’re up by 19 in the second game, so it was only a few three-pointers that they needed to get.

“They played way better defence that day and changed things, and we just had to try and adapt as best we could.

“I think we did well to just stick together on the court and, thankfully, we had that advantage from the first game to see us through” she smiled.

That victory has set Ferrol up for a clash with another French outfit, Villeneuve-d’Ascq LM in a much-anticipated final, and, while huge numbers will be tuning in over the next week to see if the Spanish newcomers can do the unthinkable and take down the 2015 champions, Melia is not burdening herself with any pressure heading into the two-legged title clash.

“For me personally, it's just a great achievement to get to a EuroCup final. It’s such a high standard.

“I'd say even if we go out and lose both games, there'll still be celebrations in Ferrol afterwards.

“We don't know what way it'll go. They [Villeneuve] are a strong team and I think it will depend on what way referees ref it, what they call and if shots drop on the day.

“You never know what can happen. Every game is different and especially the home games where the support is just crazy. It's nice to play in front of that” she said.

Whatever the outcome is for Melia and Ferrol in the EuroCup final, the Ireland senior international has revelled in competing on both the European stage and the Spanish League in which they are pushing strongly for a playoff berth.

Regarding the major difference she has experience this season in comparison to previous years at home in the Super League where she has enjoyed huge success with the likes of The Address UCC Glanmire and Killester, Melia said “It’s probably the physicality in both Spanish League and Europe, because you have to use different moves at the basket.

“Here you have to just think more, read the plays and kick it out if they're double teaming.

“You're playing Olympians, you're playing WNBA players. It's cool to get to experience that and to get to play in games at that level.

“I think for all of us, we're just enjoying the moment and enjoying the experience in the EuroCup. There's different people who step up on different days.

“It's hard for other teams to scout and stick on one of us, because, if they shut down one player, someone else steps up, and that’s the great thing about this team” she smiled.