Esports

Maria Planas, who was the first and only woman to lead the Women’s Senior National Basketball Team – between 1978 and 1985 – has shared her experience and thoughts in a detailed interview that addressed her beginnings in the world of basketball, her motivation to become a coach, and her struggle to achieve this.

Her story exudes attitude, passion, and enthusiasm for breaking barriers and the glass ceiling in basketball. She navigated obstacles and had to confront the lack of support from many of her colleagues: ‘It was hell. They told me I was no good.’

Some even went further and tried to discredit her with lies and slander to hinder her professional career: ‘A coach even went as far as to publicly say that I spent a night in jail,’ she highlights.

Despite everything, Maria Planas was fortunate to have her husband as an ally to consolidate her basketball career and progress towards equality in a very male-dominated sport at that time.

Her story is inspirational. As advice for the new generations of basketball players, coaches, and selectors, she does not hesitate to emphasise the importance of teamwork and perseverance: ‘They must always know how to push forward.’

‘Dones amb Impacte’

‘Dones amb Impacte’ is a series of interviews with women who have excelled in various areas of sport. The series, which releases a new episode on the 8th of each month, aims to highlight their work and inspire new generations with stories of struggle, effort, and overcoming challenges.

In addition to the interview with Maria Planas, you can also check out the two previous episodes of the series on the Esports YouTube channel, which featured the Paralympic snowboard medallist Astrid Fina  and the Olympic swimmer Jessica Vall.