Three games, three wins and three times most valuable player. With an excellent command in all areas of the game, Rachel Contreras has Batanecas undefeated at the start of the Torneo de Apertura 2025-Copa SISA de la Liga Mayor de Baloncesto Femenino de El Salvador (2025 Opening Tournament-SISA Cup of the Major Women’s Basketball League of El Salvador).
The debut game itself demanded that the Avileña showed her full potential, scoring 27 goals and grabbing 20 rebounds. Only at such a high level of play, it was possible to beat Santa Ana. The six-point margin (70-64) shows the cost of the home win at the Cancha Tacón in San Vicente.
Imposing himself on defence and scoring effectively, Contreras posted another double-double (24 points/ 17 rebounds) to give his purple team a comfortable 63-43 win over Santa Tecla in the second matchday.
If there was still any doubt about his overflowing quality in Salvadoran basketball, he led Batanecas, with 25 points and 20 rebounds, in the comeback win over LMMR (Liga Municipal Monseñor Romero).
Such a start has been possible thanks to the consistency of the 1.84-metre centre. She is aware that this is how she can progress: «I have had to raise my level, preparing myself with the national team, to help my team in a league that continues to grow».
Composed of eight clubs, the tournament format is a round-robin, two-legged tournament. The top two at the end of the qualifying round advance directly to the semi-finals, while the third- through sixth-placed teams have a preliminary play-off.
After finishing third last season, the key to Batanecas Básquetbol Club’s rise to the top of the podium could be the rapport between Contreras and María Isabel Montero, another Cuban player with proven skills with the ball in her hands.
«We understand each other perfectly and our aim this year is to challenge for the championship. We’ve been working very well together as a team, but we have to keep working on our concentration during the final stages of the game,» concludes Contreras.
After three home games, Batanecas will visit the court of San Salvador Básquetbol Club, leader of the standings with a four-game winning streak and one of the favourites for the title.
