Helena Pueyo

Helena Pueyo
Pueyo in Segle XXI uniform in 2017
No. 6 – Basket Zaragoza
PositionGuard
LeagueWNBA
Personal information
Born (2001-02-13) 13 February 2001 (age 23)
Palma de Mallorca, Spain
Listed height6 ft 0 in (1.83 m)
Career information
CollegeArizona (2019–2024)
WNBA draft2024: 2nd round, 22nd overall pick
Selected by the Connecticut Sun
Playing career2024–present
Career history
2024–presentBasket Zaragoza
Career highlights and awards
  • All-Pac-12 Team (2024)
  • 2× Pac-12 All-Defensive Team (2023, 2024)
Stats at WNBA.com
Medals
Women's basketball
Representing  Spain
FIBA Women's Basketball World Cup
Bronze medal – third place 2019 Thailand U19
EuroBasket Women
Silver medal – second place 2018 EuroBasket U18

Helena Pueyo (born 13 February 2001) is a Spanish basketball player for the Basket Zaragoza of Liga ACB.[1] She is also a player for the Spanish women's national team. She played college basketball for the Arizona Wildcats.[2]

Early life

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Pueyo was born in Palma on the island of Mallorca, Spain.[3] She has a brother in Spain.[4]

She attended and trained at La Salle Palma.[5][6] She played in the Spanish National Team as well as Liga Femenina 2 club Segle XXI before coming to the United States to play college basketball.

She has a Bachelor's degree in nutritional science[7] and a Master's degree in public health.[4]

College career

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Pueyo was recruited for "her size, shooting ability, the way she sees the floor and her versatility," according to Arizona coach Adia Barnes.[8] At the time, she was considered one of the best European players in her age group.[8]

During her freshman year in the 2019–2020 season, Pueyo played in 29 games and started in one. She average 21.6 minutes of playtime per game. She had the second-most three-pointers on the team with 41 total scored. She had a 38% shot rate from three (41–107) and was the team's fifth-leading scorer averaging 6.7 points per game. She had a career-high eight assists in the Pac-12 Tournament Quarterfinals against Cal, which is also an Arizona Pac-12 Tournament record. Pueyo was named Pac-12 All-Freshman Honorable Mention.[3]

In her sophomore season in 2020–2021, she played in 26 games and was third on the team in steals.[3]

In the 2021–2022 season, she was considered Arizona's top reserve, playing in all 29 games and starting in 4. She averaged 21.5 minutes of playtime per game, with an average of 2.4 assists and 1.7 steals. She was named Pac-12 All Defensive Team Honorable Mention.[3]

During her senior season of 2022–2023, Pueyo was named on the Pac-12 All-Defensive Team as well as on the Naismith Defensive Player of the Year Midseason Watchlist. She played in all 32 season games and started in six. She had an average of 2.3 steals per game, the best on the Arizona team and second-best in Pac-12 that season. She also led the team with 21 blocks and a 2.6 assist-to-turnover rate.[3]

In her least season, 2023–2024, she was named All-Pac-12 Team as well as Pac-12 All-Defensive Team.[9] She is the program record holder for career steals, and fifth in Pac-12 history with 312 total steals. She is also the program record holder for single-season steals with 110, fourth in Pac-12 history. She is the first Pac-12 player since 2018 to have 100+ steals in a single season.[3]

Professional career

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She played for Segle XXI in Spain's Liga Femenina 2 in from 2017 to 2019. She averaged 13 points, three assists, and two steals per game. Her scoring rates were 51% from the field, 37% for three-pointers, and 85% from the free throw line.[3]

Pueyo was selected in the second round, as the 22nd overall draft pick of the 2024 WNBA draft by the Connecticut Sun.[10] She is the 12th Spanish player[11] and the 13th Arizona player to be drafted into the WNBA.[10] Coach Stephanie White describes Pueyo as "a player who makes winning plays. Her assist-to-turnover ratio is excellent, and with low usage... she is a player who can move the ball on offense and who can defend on the other site of the court."[12] On 10 May 2024, Pueyo was waived by the Connecticut Sun.[13]

She signed with Basket Zaragoza of the Spanish Liga ACB on 7 May 2024.[1]

National team career

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In 2017, Pueyo played in the 2017 U16 European Championships, guiding Spain to the quarterfinals while averaging 11 points, five rebounds, and four assists per game. She averaged 28 minutes of playtime.[3]

In the summer of 2018, she helped lead Spain to a silver medal at the 2018 U18 European Championships, while averaging eight points and four rebounds per game.[3] At the 2018 U17 World Cup, she played 23 minutes per game and average nine points, four rebounds, and over two assists per game, helping Spain reach the quarterfinals.[3]

In 2019, she helped lead Spain to a bronze medal at the 2019 U19 World Cup and a Quarterfinal appearance at the 2019 U18 European Championships. She average 9.4 points, 5.5 rebounds, 2.7 steals, 2.6 assists in the summer of 2019.[3]

Career statistics

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Legend
  GP Games played   GS  Games started  MPG  Minutes per game  RPG  Rebounds per game
 APG  Assists per game  SPG  Steals per game  BPG  Blocks per game  PPG  Points per game
 TO  Turnovers per game  FG%  Field-goal percentage  3P%  3-point field-goal percentage  FT%  Free-throw percentage
 Bold  Career best ° League leader

College

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Year Team GP GS MPG FG% 3P% FT% RPG APG SPG BPG TO PPG
2019–20 Arizona 29 1 21.6 39.1 38.3 77.3 2.7 1.9 1.4 0.3 1.3 6.7
2020–21 Arizona 26 0 21.5 32.3 34.3 75.0 3.5 1.3 1.5 0.5 0.8 3.7
2021–22 Arizona 29 4 21.5 39.1 36.4 85.7 1.9 2.4 1.7 0.6 0.8 3.4
2022–23 Arizona 32 6 25.1 50.8 31.4 85.7 2.9 2.7 2.3 0.7 1.0 5.3
2023–24 Arizona 34 34 36.8 48.0 37.5 81.1 3.7 3.6 3.2 0.9 1.5 9.7
Career 150 45 25.8 43.4 36.2 81.1 3.0 2.4 2.1 0.6 1.1 5.9
Statistics retrieved from Sports-Reference.[14]

References

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  1. ^ a b Castarlenas Vaquero, Fran (7 May 2024). "La joven maravilla española Helena Pueyo, primer fichaje de Casademont Zaragoza". AragonDigital.es. Retrieved 7 May 2024.
  2. ^ "Who We Are: Helena Pueyo". pac-12.com. Archived from the original on 2 November 2021. Retrieved 26 April 2024.
  3. ^ a b c d e f g h i j k "Helena Pueyo - Women's Basketball". University of Arizona Athletics. Retrieved 26 April 2024.
  4. ^ a b Doss, K. (2 March 2024). "Three Arizona women's basketball seniors celebrate their different paths on Saturday". Arizona Desert Swarm. Retrieved 26 April 2024.
  5. ^ Román, Carlos; Efe (16 April 2024). "Helena Pueyo, elegida en el draft de la WNBA". Ultima Hora (in Spanish). Retrieved 26 April 2024.
  6. ^ FERNÁNDEZ ORTEGA, J. "La mallorquina Helena Pueyo a la conquista de la WNBA". La Siesta Magazine. Retrieved 26 April 2024.
  7. ^ Kelapire, Ryan (1 January 2020). "Spanish freshman Helena Pueyo meeting high expectations at Arizona". Arizona Desert Swarm. Retrieved 26 April 2024.
  8. ^ a b Kelapire, Ryan (30 April 2019). "Arizona signs Spanish guard Helena Pueyo to round out 2019 recruiting class". Arizona Desert Swarm. Retrieved 26 April 2024.
  9. ^ Doss, K. (5 March 2024). "Helena Pueyo leads group of 5 Arizona women's basketball players honored by Pac-12 coaches". Arizona Desert Swarm. Retrieved 26 April 2024.
  10. ^ a b Doss, K. (15 April 2024). "Arizona's Esmery Martinez and Helena Pueyo hear their names called in 2024 WNBA draft". Arizona Desert Swarm. Retrieved 26 April 2024.
  11. ^ "Helena Pueyo, la joya española que se codea con las estrellas de la WNBA y que sueña con los JJOO". El Español (in Spanish). 17 April 2024. Retrieved 26 April 2024.
  12. ^ Vallejo, Luis (24 April 2024). "¿Qué situación se va a encontrar Helena Pueyo en Connecticut? Así es el equipo". Gigantes del Basket (in Spanish). Retrieved 26 April 2024.
  13. ^ "WNBA Player Movement & Transactions | WNBA". www.wnba.com. Retrieved 12 May 2024.
  14. ^ "Helena Pueyo College Stats". Sports-Reference. Retrieved 16 April 2024.
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