#SigningStories: Cristina Sánchez
Cristina Sánchez | G | 6-1 | Granada, Spain
#SigningStories, as told by Arkansas women’s basketball head coach Mike Neighbors
Some relationships are years in the making. Some are just weeks. It all comes down to timing. Timing was perfect in Christina Sánchez becoming a Razorback.
The phone call was the point of ignition, a long-time relationship between Coach Todd Schaefer and Rachel Galligan. Rachel is a well-respected voice in women’s basketball, not just in the U.S., but worldwide. On the phone with Todd, Rachel noted that a player in Spain was considering coming to the states to study and play basketball. Rachel follows us closely. She knows our style of play and when she sees our type of kid. She mentioned this player was versatile, skilled, a hard worker and wanted to be coached… DING! DING! DING! Talent ✔
Now… Can we trust her?
Time to research.
We saw she comes from a basketball family. Her father Felix and mother Pique both played.
Distance combined with our calendar made it impossible for our staff to make the trip to Spain. Through a series of Zooms with staff doing virtual tours through phones and a few Zooms, we knew we could trust her to be a Razorback.
Her family traveled to Fayetteville for an official visit on Nov. 14, 2022, to see us play Tulsa. She and her family explored Fayetteville, experienced campus and saw future teammates in action against Tulsa. After the hard-earned win over the Golden Hurricane, Cristina made the night even better by committing to be a Razorback!
“Cris has only begun to scratch the surface of how good she can become, and the player she can be developed into. I know Coach Neighbors and his elite staff will help her reach her maximum potential. She has high-level international experience combined with length, work ethic, athleticism and motor to fit well with Arkansas’ system and their established culture.” - Rachel Galligan, owner of GoGlobal recruiting
THE ACCOLADES:
- A member of the Spanish National Team
- Selected for workouts at the U12, U13, U14, U15, U16 and U17 and played an unofficial tournament on the U15 national team
- Earned gold and silver medals at the Andalucians Cup U14
- Best rebounder on the U14 nationals club cup
- She was chosen to the Andalucías Team three times and won a silver and bronze medal at the national cup
- Was selected to the Granadas Team six times
- Picked for the NBA Academy games in Atlanta
- LF2 champion in 2021
MORE INFORMATION
For more information about Arkansas Women’s Basketball, follow us on Twitter and Instagram at @RazorbackWBB and on Facebook at Facebook.com/RazorbackWBB. Be sure to subscribe to our YouTube Channel, “Kickin’ It In The Neighborhood” for an inside look at the Razorback women’s basketball program and check out The Neighborhood podcasts at CoachNeighbors.com.
