The girl who never imagined becoming a professional 200 meters from home

La Seu d'UrgellCadí La Seu hasn't started the season with the results they hoped for, but they remain one of the greatest examples of resilience in European basketball. The team from La Seu d'Urgell, a town of just 12,831 inhabitants, has made staying in the Liga Femenina Endesa (Women's Endesa League) a regular occurrence. "Cadí La Seu is a long-standing project that faces increasing challenges. You have to play against the best teams without the same budget. It's a club with a lot of people behind it, making sure everything runs smoothly. It's a project that has grown significantly, but it gets harder every year. Having a team in the top division brings a lot of life to a town like La Seu d'Urgell."

The player from Urgell has established herself among the elite of basketball, playing just 200 meters from the house where she grew up. "Being able to compete in the top division with my hometown team is a dream I never imagined," acknowledges the forward, who is averaging 18:55 minutes per game with Isaac Fernández. Cadí La Seu, which has only managed two wins in the first seven games but displays a brave and daring style of play, visits Lointek Gernika Bizkaia on Sunday.

Palma is used to rarely being the center of attention. "I don't know if I'm a role model for future generations, but ultimately, my work ethic is very consistent. Sometimes I'm not very visible, but I'm always there doing things. This is an important example because it's very difficult to always be first in line," she recalls.

When she has time, the forward helps out with the youth teams' training sessions. "I really enjoy coaching, I have a great time. There are a lot of boys and girls who come here trying to learn to play basketball, and my experience as a player allows me to teach them something. I like it. If we end up being from here and having a team in the top league, we also have to take advantage of it so the locals can see us," she tells us.

Palma recalls her time in the Catalan Federation's Talent Identification and Development Program. "I did it here in La Seu d'Urgell. Initiatives like this are great, and in areas like this, where the level isn't the same as in Barcelona, ​​it's very interesting. It was a time to learn new things and meet new people. I was ten or twelve years old, but it made me realize that I wanted to dedicate myself to this. It was my turning point," she says, referring to high-performance training dedicated exclusively to women's basketball.

Playing with Catalonia, a gift

Palma ended up playing for the Catalan national team, which played a friendly match against Ukraine in Girona a couple of years ago. "Playing in the centenary match was a wonderful gift. Wearing the Catalan national team jersey is always a source of pride, especially when you've done it since you were little, going through different youth teams. It's an experience not everyone gets to have. I made a lot of friends and had a great time," she says.

Her career can serve as an example for players just starting out in the world of sports. "When I started playing, there wasn't much women's basketball on TV. It's true that I looked up to Alba Torrens and Silvia Domínguez because they were two players who had been playing for many years, but it wasn't easy to have role models," she reflects.