Melia's road from Monasterevin to an historic European final

The Kildare native will become the first Irish woman to ever play in a European basketball decider on Wednesday.

HOOP DREAMS: Ireland international Claire Melia.

From the moment Claire Melia first touched a basketball, her coaches knew there was something special there. On Wednesday night, she will become the first Irish woman to ever play in a European final as her Baxi Ferrol side faces Villeneuve d’Ascq of France in the first leg of the Eurocup Women final.

Remarkably she couldn’t even play in her home town of Monasterevin, because it lacked a basketball court when she started playing.