The former Spanish international will be take up the role immediately and will become the first woman to lead a GB senior basketball team.
Montañana, who played in the WNBA for the Minnesota Lynx, and professionally in Spain, Czechia, France and Turkey, moved into coaching after retiring as a player in 2015.
She said: “I am truly honoured and excited to be appointed as the head coach of the Great Britain women’s national team.
“It is a great challenge to create a unique identity for the national team program while preparing them to compete at the highest level on the global stage.
“I am very thankful for the opportunity to contribute to the already exciting development of basketball in Great Britain, and I hope our team will continue to inspire the next generation of youth to excel on and off the court.”
Over the last ten years, Anna has been Assistant Coach for several Spanish national youth teams, providing her with extensive experience of mentoring and developing players to excel at an international level.
Montañana has coached youth teams at European and international competitions, helping to guide Spain to Under-16 gold in 2016, and later supporting the Under-18 team in 2018 and 2022 and the Under-19 team in 2023 to silver medals.
She also has experience of coaching both men’s and women’s league teams in several different countries. She made history to become the first woman to be assistant coach in the ACB, to be the head coach in the pro Spanish league in Leb Plata and was also the first woman to be a Head Coach in the Colombian men’s pro league.
Montañana was named Spanish Coach Association’s Female Coach of the Year for the 2022-2023 season for her work as Head Coach for Lointek Gernika in the Spanish Liga Endesa. Her current league coaching role is as Head Coach of Jairis Hozono in Spain’s women’s Liga Endesa.
“Anna’s coaching and player resume is very impressive, but her character and passion for the often overlooked, yet crucial, intangibles of the game speak volumes.
“Having played, coached and succeeded at the highest levels, she knows what it takes to win against top competition. I am looking forward to working with her to actualise our team’s potential.”
“It’s fantastic to welcome Anna, together with her incredible enthusiasm, drive and energy to the Great Britain basketball staff.
“I know she is looking forward to the challenge of head coaching our senior team but her broad experience in both professional leagues and across the age group national teams in Spain means she is also well placed to help to embed the GB way throughout our women’s basketball pathway.
“These are such exciting times to be part of women’s and girls’ basketball in the UK.”
Montañana, who succeeds fellow Spaniard Chema Buceta, will prepare the senior women’s team for the November window, when they will take on Denmark in their third qualifier for the FIBA Women’s EuroBasket 2025 tournament.
She will honour her previous agreement with the Spanish federation as Head Coach of the Spanish Under-18 team at EuroBasket this summer.
Main picture: Valencia Baske
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