ORCHIES (EuroBasket Women/FIBA World Championship for Women) - For the lucky ones who had seen Cristina Ouvina dazzle before, her performance for Spain in their rout of Serbia at the EuroBasket Women would have come as no surprise.
The majority of the spectators watching the first Semi-Final in Orchies, France, on Friday, however, had no idea what was about to come when 1.74m guard entered the game in the first quarter.
The 23-year-old, one of the newcomers in the senior team, had only made three appearances in the tournament and played a total of 20 minutes.
In the 88-69 victory over the Serbians, though, Ouvina played a mesmerizing 26 minutes.
As quick as lightning, she was disruptive on defense and electric on offense.
In the waning seconds of third quarter, Ouvina made a jaw-dropping play, one that people are going to talk about for a very long time.
After receiving a pass on the right, she dribbled back and forth while facing one of Serbia's defensive stalwarts, starting point guard Tamara Radocaj.
Ouvina used a crossover dribble to reach the free-throw line and then delivered a no-look bounce pass into the lane, setting up a cutting Laura Nicholls for one of the easiest baskets she'll ever score.
The play drew a roar from the crowd, and Ouvina's teammates both on the court and the bench shook their heads in disbelief.
Ouvina, normally a point guard, has played at shooting guard in her limited minutes with the national team this summer.
She hit all three of her shots from the arc against Serbia, with two coming from the left corner, and finished with 19 points, four assists and four rebounds.
Most notable of all about Ouvina's performance was that from start to finish, she wore a huge smile.
"It's my first experience in the EuroBasket," she said to FIBA.com, "included with the best group of players. It (2012-13 season) was my first year in the EuroLeague (with Wisla Can-Pack Krakow).
"The truth is that I have not had many minutes in the other games and other occasions, but my role was to come in for Marta Xargay after she picked up some fouls.
"I was comfortable. I helped the team do a lot of things. I'm very happy to reach the Final and I am very happy for my team."
Making the performance even more impressive is the fact that Ouvina is out of position.
"My position is point guard and now, here, I'm playing shooting guard," she said.
"I'd like to play my usual position because I feel more comfortable but I just want to help as much as possible so can play two minutes, five minutes or 25."
Spain's players were breathing fire when they stepped onto the court to face Serbia, determined to reach the Final for the first time since 2007 when they nearly upset Russia in the title-game.
This looks like a team that is going to make some headlines next year at the FIBA World Championship for Women in Turkey.
If Xargay stays out of foul trouble against France on Sunday, Ouvina may not get as many minutes as she did against Serbia.
She looks to be a perfect fit for the Spaniards moving forward, though.
