Despite sitting the whole of the second quarter, Iyana Martin continued her impressive run at the 2026 FIBA Women’s World Cup. Her decision to delay joining the Portland Fire of the WNBA is proving quite beneficial to Spain as she helped them set up a semi-final showdown with the USA.
Iyana Martin made a choice last spring. It was clear and simple. Her focus for the rest of the year wasn’t going to be suiting up for the Portland Fire in the WNBA, it was to help Spain succeed at the 2026 FIBA Women’s World Cup.
After her nation missed out on making the 2022 competition, Martin wanted her World Cup debut to be special. Well she made sure of that against Australia.
A touch of context
Spain’s failure to make the 2022 FIBA Women’s World Cup was extremely out of the ordinary. It was the only edition they had failed to make since 1990 and they had won medals at the previous three editions.
Added to that was that 2022 was an exceptional year for Spanish basketball. The senior men won EuroBasket and the youth men’s and women’s teams reached the finals of all eight competitions (U16, U18, U20 euros and U17 worlds). It was a level of excellence across both men’s and women’s hoops up and down the ages that is basically unheard of in the post Cold War world.
Iyana Martin was part of that story. She was on the U16 and U17 squads, both of which ended up with silver medals. She’d go on to win MVP at the U19 World Cup in 2023. Since turning pro, she has impressed all around her. After getting a silver medal in her maiden EuroBasket Women last year, she set her stall out to prioritise this competition.
Opening strong
Spain took control of this one early and Iyana Martin was at the heart of it. She shot 3 of 4 from deep in the first quarter as La Roja took a commanding lead early. Australia had been pushed to the brink the previous night by Italy and Martin could smell blood in the water.
There’s a trust from her teammates that comes with her game. She brings the best of youth, with quick feet and a confidence unburdened by the years that adulthood can do to batter it. Yet he IQ is that of a veteran that has been playing for far longer than you’d think for such a youngster.
There was one big surprise in her game tonight. After Martin was subbed out in the middle of the first quarter, she didn’t appear for the rest of the half. The game didn’t particularly need her as Spain ran away with it in short order. Come the third, she was back to give the Opals nightmares.
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A consistent performer
Iyana Martin entered this game averaging 22 minutes, 17.3 points, with a 56/43/90 line. Added to that were her 3 assists and 1.7 steals per game. The only flaw so far has been her ball security, giving up 3 turnovers per game.
Unlike the US, which has gone with an all-veteran starting five, Spain is happy to give its younger players like Martin a chance to take charge from the off. She’s carried over strong numbers from last season in Eurocup Women and managed to match or better them with the national team.
That’s no easy feat considering the step up from Europe’s secondary competition to the FIBA Women’s World Cup. She’ll play Euroleague Women next season before finally, and belatedly, joining the Portland Fire for the 2027 WNBA season.
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A bridge too far
Never say never but it would be the mother of shocks if Spain beat the USA on Saturday night. For them to do so, they certainly need a whopper game from Iyana Martin. This is a unit that leans on its youth to get the most out of its veterans.
Martin understands that role brilliantly. Even if she’s able to have a mighty night on D, it’s probably too much of this Spain side right now to expect them to finally get the long awaited big win over the USA in the women’s game.
Still, don’t be surprised if she draws comparisons to Ricky Rubio’s performance in the 2008 Olympic final on Saturday night. It’s a lazy comparison but not entirely without merit. Like Ricky, Martin has waited before making the jump. Like Ricky, she’s got an awful lot to offer out of the back court. The big edge is that she’s a far more reliable shooter. That could prove vital on Saturday night.
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