Isa Sánchez is one of Spain's key players, an energetic, scrappy forward who normally comes of the bench to energize her team's play.  But even after playing for both Spain and her club, Halcón Avenida, Sánchez somehow has energy left over to both host a radio program in Salamanca and brush up on the latest advances in medicine, her "true calling".

Sánchez took a break from her EuroBasket warm-ups to talk about her double life as a player and journalist and which one is a tougher day at work.

FIBA Europe:  Tell us more about your radio program, Avenida Inside.  How did it all start?

Isa Sanchez: The radio program I have in Salamanca was actually the idea of a journalist that works for the Spanish radio channel SER who used to travel with us covering our EuroLeague Women games.  One day, just goofing around on the team bus, I grabbed his microphone and interviewed one of my teammates, only as a joke of course.  But Carlos, the journalist, asked me why didn't I start my own radio program and interview whoever I wanted to once a week.  And that's how Avenida Inside got started!  It airs every Friday during the club season.   I do it for the challenge.  I like sports journalism- it has always interested me, but I have a university degree in Medicine, which is my true calling.

Maria Stepanova and Russia have been a "thorn" in the side of Spain.

FIBA Europe: When do you get more nervous, on the radio or on the court?

Isa Sanchez:  On the radio.  I suppose it's because I am not used to it yet, although it is true that during the last interviews I hardly got nervous at all.  I guess I am becoming a veteran at it!

FIBA Europe:  Have you learned something from doing journalism that has helped you on the court, or vice versa? 

Isa Sanchez:  I believe that both on the radio and on the court you have to just be yourself.  If you try to be like someone else and you forget your identity, that's when you're in trouble.

FIBA Europe:  For you, what are the keys to a good interview?

Isa Sanchez:  Mixing funny anecdotes with serious questions so you don't bore the listener and at the same time your audience can get to know a more personal side of the person you are interviewing.

FIBA Europe: In a recent TV interview, you spoke about the victory of your club Halcón Avenida over CSKA Moscow in the EuroLeague Women as pulling a thorn out of your side.  Russia kept Spain from getting the gold in the EuroBasket Women 2007 and beat you again in the Beijing Olympics in 2008.  Do you hope Spain can pull this thorn out of its side as well if it gets the chance?  Perhaps you can by comparing the different styles of Russia and Spain.

Isa Sanchez:  I think the difference between Russia and Spain is pretty obvious.  They base their game on their height advantage and their pure offensive talent while we base our game on fighting hard, playing with passion and a never-say-die spirit.  Physically, they have a number of centimeters on us, but it is becoming tougher and tougher for them to beat us. In the interview I spoke about getting the thorn out of our side because the Russians always keep us out of the finals or they stop us from getting the gold so the fact that Avenida could eliminate CSKA Moscow was a statement game that carried us through to the final.  For Spain the key to beating Russia, if we face them, will be not losing our identity and putting up an asphyxiating defensive pressure so that they do not have time to think or execute clearly.

FIBA Europe: With basketball and your radio program, do you have time for other things in your life?

Isa Sanchez:  I try to read up on advances in medicine so I don't lose touch with it.  I also listen to music, above all flamenco.  I like to go out with friends, have some beers and tapas.

FIBA Europe:  I heard that the team saw the Champions League final between FC Barcelona and Manchester United  together.  I imagine you are a Barça fan from your stint with the team, no?

Isa Sanchez:  I am a Betis fan to the death, but after Betis I like Barça.  When I played for Barça we went to the football matches and I began to like the team, but my blood runs green.

FIBA Europe: Messi or Ronaldo.

Isa Sanchez: For me, Messi is the best.

FIBA Europe:  Do you see yourself as a professional basketball coach one day?  Or perhaps as a journalist since you already have a good start?

Isa Sanchez:  I would like to coach but seriously speaking I see myself as a doctor working in a hospital before being a journalist or coaching basketball, even though I don't discard either as careers.

FIBA Europe:  Given that there is less money is women's basketball, do think it makes women players more prepared to face the day when their sporting careers come to an end and they have to take on a second career?

Isa Sanchez:  I think it is difficult for both men and women the day you play your final game because I don't think money is what conditions a player to be more or less prepared for the end of his or her career.  I believe that the passion that an individual feels for the game is what makes it more or less difficult to do so, independently of the number of zeros you have in the bank account. 

FIBA Europe:  If you were a journalist covering the EuroBasket Women 2009, what is the one interview you would most like to get?

Isa Sanchez:  An interview with my teammates on how it feels to win the gold medal.

Isa Sánchez is one of Spain's key players, an energetic, scrappy forward who normally comes of the bench to energize her team's play.  But even after playing for both Spain and her club, Halcón Avenida, Sánchez somehow has energy left over to both host a radio program in Salamanca and brush up on the latest advances in medicine, her "true calling".

Sánchez took a break from her EuroBasket warm-ups to talk about her double life as a player and journalist and which one is a tougher day at work.

FIBA Europe:  Tell us more about your radio program, Avenida Inside.  How did it all start?

Isa Sanchez: The radio program I have in Salamanca was actually the idea of a journalist that works for the Spanish radio channel SER who used to travel with us covering our EuroLeague Women games.  One day, just goofing around on the team bus, I grabbed his microphone and interviewed one of my teammates, only as a joke of course.  But Carlos, the journalist, asked me why didn't I start my own radio program and interview whoever I wanted to once a week.  And that's how Avenida Inside got started!  It airs every Friday during the club season.   I do it for the challenge.  I like sports journalism- it has always interested me, but I have a university degree in Medicine, which is my true calling.

Maria Stepanova and Russia have been a "thorn" in the side of Spain.

FIBA Europe: When do you get more nervous, on the radio or on the court?

Isa Sanchez:  On the radio.  I suppose it's because I am not used to it yet, although it is true that during the last interviews I hardly got nervous at all.  I guess I am becoming a veteran at it!

FIBA Europe:  Have you learned something from doing journalism that has helped you on the court, or vice versa? 

Isa Sanchez:  I believe that both on the radio and on the court you have to just be yourself.  If you try to be like someone else and you forget your identity, that's when you're in trouble.

FIBA Europe:  For you, what are the keys to a good interview?

Isa Sanchez:  Mixing funny anecdotes with serious questions so you don't bore the listener and at the same time your audience can get to know a more personal side of the person you are interviewing.

FIBA Europe: In a recent TV interview, you spoke about the victory of your club Halcón Avenida over CSKA Moscow in the EuroLeague Women as pulling a thorn out of your side.  Russia kept Spain from getting the gold in the EuroBasket Women 2007 and beat you again in the Beijing Olympics in 2008.  Do you hope Spain can pull this thorn out of its side as well if it gets the chance?  Perhaps you can by comparing the different styles of Russia and Spain.

Isa Sanchez:  I think the difference between Russia and Spain is pretty obvious.  They base their game on their height advantage and their pure offensive talent while we base our game on fighting hard, playing with passion and a never-say-die spirit.  Physically, they have a number of centimeters on us, but it is becoming tougher and tougher for them to beat us. In the interview I spoke about getting the thorn out of our side because the Russians always keep us out of the finals or they stop us from getting the gold so the fact that Avenida could eliminate CSKA Moscow was a statement game that carried us through to the final.  For Spain the key to beating Russia, if we face them, will be not losing our identity and putting up an asphyxiating defensive pressure so that they do not have time to think or execute clearly.

FIBA Europe: With basketball and your radio program, do you have time for other things in your life?

Isa Sanchez:  I try to read up on advances in medicine so I don't lose touch with it.  I also listen to music, above all flamenco.  I like to go out with friends, have some beers and tapas.

FIBA Europe:  I heard that the team saw the Champions League final between FC Barcelona and Manchester United  together.  I imagine you are a Barça fan from your stint with the team, no?

Isa Sanchez:  I am a Betis fan to the death, but after Betis I like Barça.  When I played for Barça we went to the football matches and I began to like the team, but my blood runs green.

FIBA Europe: Messi or Ronaldo.

Isa Sanchez: For me, Messi is the best.

FIBA Europe:  Do you see yourself as a professional basketball coach one day?  Or perhaps as a journalist since you already have a good start?

Isa Sanchez:  I would like to coach but seriously speaking I see myself as a doctor working in a hospital before being a journalist or coaching basketball, even though I don't discard either as careers.

FIBA Europe:  Given that there is less money is women's basketball, do think it makes women players more prepared to face the day when their sporting careers come to an end and they have to take on a second career?

Isa Sanchez:  I think it is difficult for both men and women the day you play your final game because I don't think money is what conditions a player to be more or less prepared for the end of his or her career.  I believe that the passion that an individual feels for the game is what makes it more or less difficult to do so, independently of the number of zeros you have in the bank account. 

FIBA Europe:  If you were a journalist covering the EuroBasket Women 2009, what is the one interview you would most like to get?

Isa Sanchez:  An interview with my teammates on how it feels to win the gold medal.