Culture

Puerto Rico Crushes El Salvador, Advances to Centrobasket Semifinals

Published Jul 15, 2026, 9:14 PM ASTvia El Nuevo Día

Why this matters: A win in the Centrobasket could help Puerto Rico’s women’s basketball team qualify for the FIBA AmeriCup Women’s 2027, potentially boosting the island’s sports reputation and inspiring local athletes.

The Puerto Rico National Team, led by Imani McGee-Stafford’s double-double, achieved its third consecutive victory in the Centrobasket Qualifier for the FIBA AmeriCup Women’s 2027, defeating El Salvador 99-34. With this win, Puerto Rico secured its spot in the semifinals with a perfect 3-0 record. The team will seek to advance to the final on Friday and potentially win its fifth consecutive title.

McGee-Stafford scored 12 points, 14 rebounds, and three assists in 15:45 minutes of play. Franchesca Torres was the top scorer for Puerto Rico for the second consecutive game with 13 points, followed by Pamela Rosado with 12 and Abeliz Rodríguez Santiago with 10. Fátima Avilés was El Salvador’s top scorer with seven points and five rebounds.

Puerto Rico took control of the game from the start, establishing a significant lead in the first quarter and increasing it throughout the match, ultimately winning by 65 points, the largest margin of the game.

In context

SourceEl Nuevo Día

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