TALLAHASSEE, Fla. — Florida State Women’s Basketball Head Coach Brooke Wyckoff has announced the signing of two incoming freshmen in Spaniards Lucía Navarro (forward, Valencia, Spain) and Carla Viegas (forward, Malaga, Spain). They are the first two members of Florida State’s 2023 signing class.
Malaga, Spain ➡️ Tallahassee, Florida
Welcome to the garnet & gold, @carlaviegaas!#NoleFAM | #NationalSigningDay pic.twitter.com/iyq3HqSU1U
— FSU Women's Basketball (@fsuwbb) November 9, 2022
✍️ 𝙊𝙛𝙛𝙞𝙘𝙞𝙖𝙡𝙡𝙮, 𝙤𝙛𝙛𝙞𝙘𝙞𝙖𝙡.
Welcome to the #NoleFAM, @lucianavarrosem!#NationalSigningDay pic.twitter.com/gZMCHtQr7P
— FSU Women's Basketball (@fsuwbb) November 9, 2022
Navarro and Viegas are the fifth and sixth Spanish-born players who will suit up in the Garnet and Gold. Florida State has created a tremendous pipeline in recent years in Spain, boasted by Wyckoff’s career playing in the Spanish Professional League for nearly a decade.
Viegas has been dubbed as the world’s best 3-point shooter after making a name for herself at the U17 World Championship, where she finished 23-of-51 from downtown (45.1 percent). The feat was the highest 3-point field goal percentage in the history of the tournament by someone who has recorded 40 or more 3-point field goal attempts.
“We are thrilled to announce the signing of Carla Viegas,” Wyckoff added. “Her unique skill as a deadly 3-point shooter will provide another exciting layer of offensive threat to our roster. Carla brings game experience from playing at the highest levels of competition internationally and in the Spanish League. We look forward to the impact she will have in our program.”
Viegas helped her Spanish Team to a runner-up finish at the U17 World Championship to the United States. She averaged 11 points per game.
In her U16 and U18 leagues, Viegas has gone off for 40-point games multiple times and has averaged 25 points per game in different seasons. She plays for CAB Estepona of the Spanish League, where she shot 52-of-91 from 3-point range in 2019-20, 28-of-64 in 2020-21 and 58-of-115 in 2021-22. All three seasons she led the league in 3-point field goal percentage.
Navarro possesses a strong inside-out game with a sweet left-handed stroke from the outside. She is part of the Valencia Basketball Club and has established herself on the U18 Spanish Team. Navarro’s versatility includes being able to play multiple positions and defend several types of players.
In her U18 league, Navarro is averaging 14 points and 11 rebounds per game.
Navarro is playing for Paterna in the Spain LF-Challenge League, averaging 3.9 points in 13.7 minutes.
“It is so exciting to announce the signing of Lucia Navarro,” Wyckoff said. “Lucia is a versatile athlete who will add great size and physicality to our small forward position. She brings the ability to score at all three levels as well as defend multiple positions. We can't wait to have Lucia in Tallahassee next season.”
The Seminoles have three Spanish Alumna in Leticia Romero, Leonor Rodriguez and Maria Conde who have played in the 2016 and/or the 2020 Summer Olympic Games. Romero and Rodriguez helped Spain to its best finish ever with a silver medal in Rio in 2016, while Conde and Rodriguez represented their country in 2020 in Tokyo.
