PressBox recently chatted with UMBC women’s basketball junior Carmen Yánez about growing up in Spain, choosing to continue her hoops career in the States and more. The 5-foot-6 guard averaged 5.6 points and 1.9 assists per game for the Retrievers in 2023-24. Yánez grew up in Las Palmas de Gran Canaria on the Canary Islands.
PressBox: How did you first become interested in basketball?
Carmen Yánez: Growing up in Spain, you can only play one sport, so my parents decided to put me in … basketball. I started playing when I was 3 years old. From that point to now, I’ve been playing basketball.
PB: Why could you only play one sport?
CY: In Spain, you go to a club to play. You are not in a school playing. You can only pick one sport because sometimes you just go to a club and play that sport. That’s why I could only play one sport and not a lot of them.
PB: What are the Canary Islands like?
CY: It’s seven little islands in Spain, not too many people. We have a lot of tourists. It’s always good weather — like 70s [all] year. It’s great on Christmas to have a lot of tourists there. … I grew up in the Canary Islands, but when I turned 14, I moved to Galicia, another part of Spain. I played there for one year and then I moved when I was 15 to Barcelona to play my last three years of high school there. I played for Barca there.
PB: Who was the biggest influence on your game growing up?
CY: Growing up, my biggest influence probably was Chris Paul for his vision and control of the game. Also, I like Stephen Curry — this past year, I got the opportunity to see him here in Chesapeake Arena — for his shooting and movement without the ball. I try to combine those qualities to be a leader and create those opportunities and be a threat in that time for the team.
PB: Why did you decide to continue your basketball career in the U.S.?
CY: Growing up in Spain, at first I didn’t want to go to the USA. I was only focused on improving there, but my junior year of high school I started to have the possibility of playing at a Division I university. I went into the process and I started talking to different universities. I didn’t visit. I just talked with all the coaches. I decided that UMBC was the best option academically and athletically.
PB: How did UMBC find you?
CY: They found me because there’s an academy that … sends videos to different universities. After that, they are the ones talking to you. That’s how they found me.
PB: What’s your favorite memory from playing at UMBC so far?
CY: Right now, I would say my freshman year when I scored my first points here in the States and also when we [won in the America East] quarterfinals against NJIT. And I would say … the first time we [beat] Vermont because it was a tricky game but it was a great win away from home.
PB: What’s your favorite thing about UMBC?
CY: I would say Chesapeake Arena because we have possibilities every single day that we can get in and out, we can get shots up, talk with the coaches, watch film. That’s a great opportunity to have this here next to school.
PB: How often does your family see you play at UMBC?
CY: My freshman year they didn’t come at all. Last year my mom came for spring break. I usually see them in the summer, but they also come sometimes — maybe one time a year, but that’s the only time I’m able to see them.
PB: How is basketball different in Spain compared to here?
CY: I would say the pace and intensity here is different from Spain. In Spain, it’s more of a vision game. You play with less pace, but it’s more like putting plays together. Here it’s all the time playing with pace without stopping. Also I would say there are different rules, so that’s a huge part.
PB: Who’s your best friend on the team and what’s a story that underscores your friendship?
CY: I would say Laura Lacambra. She’s also a junior. I’ve been with her since my freshman year. I live with her and all the things we do together. She’s also from Spain, so it’s all connected. When we have free time, we are able to talk Spanish without the pressure to speak English.
PB: What are your impressions of new coach Candice Hill?
CY: With her as the new coach, there’s always going to be changes, but there are also going to be new ideas and ways to improve. We know that we have a huge path ahead … but personally, I focus on adapting myself of what she asks and understanding her philosophy and also contributing the best to the team. At the end of the day, the important thing is that all of us need to be committed to achieve all those objectives. That’s what she expects of us.
PB: What player did you look up to early in your college career?
CY: My freshman year, I would say Kiara Bell. She was actually a post, but she was a leader on the court. I also think her IQ and her capacity to do many things for the team was a great thing for our freshman year team.
PB: What advice would you give to younger players, particularly those in Europe who are looking to come over to the States?
CY: I would say that it’s a great experience. I would say everyone can do it. Being able to play Division I college basketball is just great. You learn so much from different players and you have that privilege to play against huge teams that you [never knew] that you [would] play against them.
PB: What are your goals for after basketball, whenever it ends?
CY: I would like to keep staying with basketball, but for right now, I want to be a special education teacher. I would like also to get into sports psychology because I just want to still be involved in all the basketball stuff. It’s really hard to just move from playing all your life to just doing nothing.
Photo Credit: Courtesy of UMBC Athletics