Katia Gallegos sees FIBA Americup as opportunity to showcase Mexican women's basketball

Katia Gallegos was born in Juárez, lived there until she was 9 and part of her heart stayed there when she and her family crossed the border to El Paso.

In the coming week, she gets to reconnect with her native land. The Franklin alum and current senior on the Tulsa women's basketball team is one of 12 players on Mexico's national team that is hosting the FIBA AmeriCup in Leon.

This is Gallegos' third stint with a Mexican national team, her first time with the senior squad and she hopes a harbinger of many more opportunities to put on a Mexico jersey and play at the highest level.

Mexico opens the tournament Saturday when it plays the Dominican Republic.

"It's so fun, I really missed international basketball," Gallegos said from Leon after arriving with her team earlier this week. "I missed the girls, I missed Mexico in general. I missed the fans, I missed the love that everyone has for us.

"Stepping on the court with the girls has been such a great experience. Some of the girls are older, they've been playing professionally already, so just to get the little hints, the things they pick up on, having that on the team, is really incredible. It's fun being able to play all together and show everyone what Mexico is about."

Hosting the AmericCup is a big event for the country. The 10-team, nine-day event, is the championship tournament for North America, one Mexico qualified for a year ago with a runner-up finish in the Centrobasket tournament.

Mexico is currently ranked 45th in the world, the lowest in their five-team group but not far behind Dominican Republic and Colombia (Canada and the team that beat Mexico at Centrobasket, Puerto Rico, are also in the group). This is their chance to show off their growing brand on a big stage at home.

"It means so much, especially since there are so many young women who have dreams of playing professionally or at the university level," Gallegos said. "To be able to play in front of them, to see their smiles and the support they give us, and the fans across Mexico, being able to host a tournament like this gives us a lot of motivation.

"These tournaments are super hard, every team is talented. For us to show what we've got on our home court, it could not be any better."

This also represents a return to full health for Gallegos, whose first season at Tulsa was limited to 20 games because of injury. That was her first year at Tulsa after three all-conference seasons at UTEP. A key as her coming senior year is with the Hurricanes, this tournament is a chance to further her dreams of a professional and national team career.

"For sure it is," she said. "I have a lot of eyes on me. Showing what each of us have is inspiring. There are so many pro teams scouting here, but I tell them I still have one year left in college.

"But this opens up so many doors and I'm blessed God has given me this opportunity. At the end of the day it's not easy, especially for young Mexican women playing at the international level. It's motivating."

The immediate challenge for Gallegos is learning a new team, as the only teammates she's previous played with are Karla Martinez and Sofía Payán from the U-18 team five years ago. When she said she missed the girls, she was referring to them.

They are all learning a new coach in Lindsey Harding, a former WNBA player who served as an assistant coach for the Philadelphia 76ers and Sacramento Kings. She comes to Mexico after a stint as the coach of the South Sudan national team

Gallegos' role figures to back up star Paola Beltrán at point guard.

Harding "has been giving us everything we need and trying to get everyone on the same page," Gallegos said. "It's going well.

"I'm going to be a point guard. Being able to have my knowledge, leadership, motivating my teammates and putting them in position to score, is something I'm looking forward to. I know coach will give me that trust so I can execute and help us win games."

More: UTEP men's basketball prepares for promising season with new energy, depth

While Mexico will be an underdog in most games it plays, Gallegos is confident she and her teammates can make a run. She's excited about what the coming week and a half will bring and what it can mean.

"We have to adjust, keep practicing, have more confidence when we step on the court," Gallegos said. "I have no doubt all of us are going to leave it all on the court.

"I'm so excited to have my family down to watch me play. It's being televised so my teammates from Tulsa, my coaching staff and all the people throughout my life who have supported me can see me. it's very exciting and motivating."

Bret Bloomquist can be reached at 915-546-6359; bbloomquist@elpasotimes.com; @Bretbloomquist on Twitter.

This article originally appeared on El Paso Times: Franklin High School alum excited to represent Mexico at FIBA AmeriCup