Gilmara Justino led Catanduva to Brazil’s Nacional Feminino title for the first time with a three-game sweep of Ourinhos.
She then capped a momentous season by being honored as the league’s most valuable player.
Gilmara, who is hoping to be selected in Brazil’s preliminary squad for the 2010 FIBA World Championship for Women in the Czech Republic, averaged 15.4 points and 7.5 rebounds per game this season for Catanduva.
She even scored the winning basket in the final seconds of her team’s 60-59 title-clinching triumph over Ourinhos in Game 3 of the Nacional Feminino Finals.
“It was very nice to see Catanduva become champions,” Gilmara said.
“The celebration was also beautiful. The fans cheered with us and at the end came onto the court to join the party.
“The entire team trained hard and fought to make the outcome positive. We didn’t expect the series to end so soon. We were prepared for five games.”
