Melia ready to embrace 'once in a lifetime opportunity' in FIBA Women's EuroCup final

Tonight marks the crescendo of 196 days of graft for Claire Melia and her team Baxi Ferrol team, as they look to overturn a three-point first leg deficit in the final of FIBA Women's EuroCup in Lille. 

The Spanish side lost out 78-75 in the opening salvo in Ferrol a week ago, a game in which Melia continued her amazing run of form in the tournament with a 12-point, 4 rebound, 6 assist performance in front of a racous home crowd. Melia and her teammates have defied the odds from the off in FIBA Women's EuroCup 2025. They started this journey back in September 2024 with an 89-47 win against Italian's O.ME.P.S. Battipaglia and haven't looked back since. 

Melia has created more history for Irish basketball with every step on the court, but ahead of the final game of their European season - the Monasterevin woman isn't feeling any addition pressure. 

Claire Melia (right) celebrates with her team after reaching the FIBA Women's EuroCup Final. 

"I think everyone on the team is excited. You know, they're probably the team under more pressure because they'll be thinking we can't let them get four points ahead of them. So if we play like we played the last time with a few adjustments then we should go well." 

"We're all very relaxed you know, this is how it always is - everyone is out to enjoy it and it's good to have that mentality as well between everyone."

🎙️"It's a once in a lifetime opportunity."

Looking ahead to tonight's FIBA Women's EuroCup Final second leg with Claire Melia ✅

Watch her attempt to make history live at 19:30 ➡️ https://t.co/PGP1w13rFD#Greenmeansgo ☘️ | #IrishBasketball pic.twitter.com/76QG6uqdTQ

— Basketball Ireland (@BballIrl) April 2, 2025

The Irish international has enjoyed fantastic support from basketball fans, international team-mates and supporters back home - and has even managed to gather a Spanish branch of the Claire Melia fan club following her fantastic performances during the course of the season - something the 25 year-old is hugely appreciative of as she bids to become the first player to come through the Irish system and win a European club trophy. 

"It's great to have that support behind you like Ioannis (Liapakis - Ireland senior women's assistant coach) James (Weldon - Ireland senior women's head coach) coming out here and James has already been to Valenica this year too so I really appreciate that and sure I think there's 20 or 30 people coming on the flight in the morning at twenty past six. It's great for Ireland you know, for the recognition of Irish basketball.

I don't think it's hit me yet the volume of support I'm getting, so I'm just really looking forward to it now. It's a once in a lifetime opportunity, maybe you'll never get to do it again in your career, but you have to just go out and enjoy the moments and play as a team and see what happens," said Melia.

Tip-off at theVilleneuve d' Ascq, Palacium Arena in Lille is at 19:30pm Irish time. 

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