Irish basketball star secures move to Spanish top flight side

Congratulations

Ireland basketball star Claire Melia will play in the Spanish top flight next season after signing for the University of Ferrol in Galicia.

Melia, 24, was announced by Ferrol's Instagram page last night and was hailed for her "versatility" by coach Lino Lopez.

"I think her best attribute is that she understands the game very well and that she is a very good passer," he said.

"She is capable of generating, but at the same time, assisting her team-mates.

"She comes from a league like the Irish one, which is not a very powerful competition, but she does want to show that she can play in a league at the level of the women's league here."

Second time lucky abroad for Melia?

This will be Melia's second spell abroad after she previously secured a scholarship at St Joseph's University in Pennsylvania before cutting it short to return to Ireland, where she enjoyed plenty of success with Killester - where she has won two Super League titles.

Melia will now turn attention to playing for the national team against Uganda as part of a friendly series in Germany that will take place next month.

The games will take place in Karlsruhe on July 21 and 22.

Full Ireland women's squad to face Uganda:

Enya Maguire (Unattached), Annalise Murphy (Glanmire), Sorcha Tiernan (Liffey Celtics), Lauryn Homan (Brunell), Kate Hickey (Waterford Wildcats), Mimi Clarke (Killester), Bridget Herlihy (Ensio Lugo, Spain), Áine O’Connor (Liffey Celtics), Claire Melia (Uni Ferrol, Spain), Abigail Rafferty (Ulster University), Amy Dooley, (Glanmire), Alex Mulligan (Ulster University).