Laia Palau facts for kids
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| No. 3 – [[Spar CityLift Girona|Spar CityLift Girona]] | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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| Point guard | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Personal information | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Born | 10 September 1979 Barcelona, Spain |
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| Listed height | 5 ft 10 in (1.78 m) | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Listed weight | 152 lb (69 kg) | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Career information | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| College | University of Barcelona | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Pro career | 1997–present | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| League | Liga Día | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Career history | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| 1997–2004 | Universitari de Barcelona | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| 2004–2006 | Bourges Basket | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| 2006–2012 | Ros Casares Valencia | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| 2012–2013 | CCC Polkowice | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| 2013–2017 | USK Praha | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| 2017 | Jayco Rangers | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| 2018 | Bourges Basket | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| 2018-present | Spar CityLift Girona | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Career highlights and awards | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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Medals
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Laia Palau Altés (born September 10, 1979) is a Spanish professional basketball player. She currently plays for the Spanish team Spar CityLift Girona. Laia is known for being the player with the most games played for the Spain women's national basketball team. She played for the national team for almost two decades, from 2002 to 2021. She also holds the record for the most medals won in major tournaments, with 12 medals.
Contents
Laia Palau's Club Career
Laia Palau started her professional basketball journey in 1997 with Universitari de Barcelona. She played with this team until 2004 and helped them win one league title.
Playing in France and Spain
In 2004, Laia moved to France and joined Bourges Basket. During her time there until 2006, she won one league title and two French Cup titles. After her time in France, she returned to Spain. She played for Ros Casares Valencia from 2006 to 2012. With this team, she achieved great success, winning five league titles, four Spanish Cups, and the prestigious 2011–12 EuroLeague Women championship.
Adventures in Poland and Czech Republic
After Ros Casares Valencia decided not to play in the top league anymore, Laia moved to Poland for the 2012-2013 season. She joined CCC Polkowice and helped them win both the Polish League title and the Polish Cup. She also played in the EuroLeague Women 2012–13 with CCC Polkowice.
From 2013 to 2017, Laia played for USK Praha in the Czech Republic. This was another very successful period for her. She won the 2014–15 EuroLeague Women championship, four Czech League titles, and two Czech Cup titles.
Playing in Australia and Return to Europe
In 2017, after playing professionally in Europe for 20 years, Laia decided to try something new. She signed with the Australian team Jayco Rangers. In January 2018, she returned to Europe and rejoined her former French team, Bourges Basket. She had another successful season there, winning both the French League and the French Cup.
Back to Spain with Girona
Later in 2018, Laia returned to Spain and signed with Spar CityLift Girona. She continued her winning ways, helping the team win the Spanish League title in 2019 and the Spanish Cup in 2021.
Laia Palau's National Team Career
Laia Palau first played for the Spain women's national basketball team when she was 22 years old. She was a key player for the senior team from 2002 until she retired from international play in 2021. She holds the record for the most games played for the Spanish national team, with a total of 314 appearances.
Laia Palau has won many medals with the Spanish national team in major international tournaments:
Bronze Medal at the 2003 EuroBasket- Bronze Medal at the 2005 EuroBasket
Silver Medal at the 2007 EuroBasket- Bronze Medal at the 2009 EuroBasket
Bronze Medal at the 2010 World Championship
Gold Medal at the 2013 EuroBasket
Silver Medal at the 2014 World Championship- Bronze Medal at the 2015 EuroBasket
Silver Medal at the 2016 Summer Olympics in Rio de Janeiro- Gold Medal at the 2017 EuroBasket
- Bronze Medal at the 2018 World Championship
- Gold Medal at the 2019 EuroBasket
Laia Palau has also represented Spain in four Olympic Games (2004, 2008, 2016, 2020) and five World Championships. Her long and successful career makes her one of Spain's most celebrated basketball players.
See also
In Spanish: Laia Palau para niños
