MIAMI (United States) – FIBA in the Americas proudly announces the selection of Mariana Cruz (Costa Rica) and Martha Lucia Restrepo Jimenez (Colombia) as the region’s representatives for the FIBA Women Leaders’ Program Supported by Molten. Their recognition highlights the strength, innovation, and sustainability of the projects developed through Adelante 3.0 and places them on the international stage ahead of the FIBA Women's Basketball World Cup in Berlin.
As part of Molten’s #KeepPlaying initiative, the two selected leaders will attend the final weekend of the Women’s World Cup, including participation in the Women in Basketball Forum. There, ten leaders—two from each FIBA region—will present their projects, with one leader receiving a $10,000 Molten grant to further implement her initiative.
Strengthening the Ecosystem in Costa Rica
Mariana Cruz’s project, a Comprehensive Women’s Basketball Development Program in Costa Rica, addresses three critical challenges identified within the national ecosystem: the absence of a competitive structure for women aged 18–24, limited visibility of female role models, and a severe shortage of active female referees.
Her initiative introduces a pilot Women’s Development League designed to serve as a competitive bridge to the First Division, reducing dropout rates among university-aged players. At the grassroots level, the project launches a 3x3 Girls’ Mini Basketball Festival, creating safe and inclusive spaces to inspire early participation and long-term engagement.
A central pillar of Cruz’s proposal is officiating and leadership development. The project aims to train and certify more than 40 new female referees in 3x3 and 5x5 by 2026, strengthening operational autonomy for the federation while expanding professional pathways for women. Complementing these efforts are personal branding workshops, digital ecosystem development, and proactive sponsorship strategies to elevate the profile and commercial sustainability of women’s basketball in the country.
Led by a multidisciplinary committee of 12 women professionals—including coaches, players, referees, and experts in legal, education, and sports communication—the program is already underway, with 21 female referees having completed technical training and additional participants receiving education in brand management and sponsorship development. The long-term vision is to leave installed capacity and a self-sustaining community in which girls see visible role models and women actively lead the future of basketball in Costa Rica.
A National Vision for Colombia
Martha Lucia Restrepo Jimenez’s project, Adelante Colombia 3.0 – Women’s Basketball for Life, presents a nationwide strategy to sustainably increase participation and retention of girls and women in Colombian basketball. The initiative responds directly to regional challenges such as early dropout, limited female coaching representation, insufficient family engagement, and a lack of structured leadership pathways for women.
With operational headquarters in Yopal, Casanare, the project is designed for national reach, integrating departmental leagues, educational institutions, families, and community stakeholders. It follows a structured three-phase annual cycle: first, the training and strengthening of coaches and referees; second, participation and retention initiatives through Mini Basketball events, camps, and community programming; and third, evaluation, systematization, and visibility of results.
The scope is ambitious and measurable, including the engagement of a broad technical and operational team, large-scale grassroots events, camps, and tournaments, supported by a comprehensive monitoring and reporting system. The project is aligned with the Sustainable Development Goals and positions women’s basketball as a strategic tool for human development, gender equity, and leadership.
Its long-term legacy centers on consolidating a national network of female coaches, referees, and leaders while establishing replicable methodologies that strengthen institutional capacity within the federation. By focusing on both participation and permanence, Restrepo Jimenez’s initiative aims to ensure that girls not only enter the sport, but remain and grow within it as athletes, coaches, referees, and administrators.
Advancing Women’s Leadership Across the Americas
The selection of Cruz and Restrepo Jimenez reflects the depth of leadership and vision emerging from the Americas through Adelante 3.0. Following a regional panel review process, both projects stood out for their clarity, sustainability, measurable impact, and alignment with FIBA’s commitment to expanding opportunities for girls and women at every level of the game.
As the global basketball community looks toward Berlin 2026, Mariana Cruz and Martha Lucia Restrepo Jimenez will represent the Americas with initiatives rooted in long-term development, institutional strengthening, and community impact—reinforcing the region’s dedication to empowering the next generation of women leaders in basketball. FIBA