Raquel Carrera Quintana is a Spanish professional basketball forward who currently plays for the WNBA’s New York Liberty. Prior to her transition to the United States, she established herself as a cornerstone player for Valencia Basket in Spain’s Liga Femenina de Baloncesto.
During the 2021 WNBA Draft, the Atlanta Dream originally selected Carrera as the 15th overall pick, making her the third-highest drafted Spanish player in league history. Her exclusive rights were subsequently acquired by the New York Liberty via trade.
Before launching her top-flight club career, Carrera spent three highly productive seasons in Spain’s Liga Femenina 2 with Celta Zorka, where she posted impressive averages of 12.3 points and 6.5 rebounds per contest. Valencia Basket secured her talent in 2019 by offering a long-term, five-year contract. To assist with her injury rehabilitation and ensure regular playing time, Carrera spent an initial season on loan with Araski before fully integrating into the Valencia roster. Her debut campaign with Valencia Basket culminated in an unforgettable 2020–21 EuroCup Women championship victory, which she sealed by calmly sinking two clutch, game-winning free throws in the final seconds of play.
Raquel Carrera launched her international career at just 14 years old, debuting at the 2016 FIBA Under-17 World Championship for Women. She went on to represent Spain twice in that specific tournament, guiding her squad to consecutive sixth-place finishes. Her youth career was also marked by substantial success at the European level, where she secured a gold medal in 2016 and a silver medal in 2017 at the U16 European Championships, followed by another silver medal at the 2018 U18 European Championship. By 2021, Carrera’s rapid ascent earned her a promotion to the senior Spanish Women’s National Team. During her breakout year with the senior squad, she competed in both the EuroBasket Women 2021 tournament and the Tokyo 2020 Summer Olympics. She concluded her milestone 2021 international run with 19 total caps and an average of 5.5 points per game.
Raquel Carrera was selected 15th overall in the second round of the 2021 WNBA Draft by the Atlanta Dream.
On June 2022 trade, New York Liberty officially acquired Raquel Carrera’s WNBA draft rights from the Atlanta Dream in a trade that sent guard AD Durr to Atlanta. Raquel Carrera was her WNBA Debut in 2026. Following the trade, she remained in Europe to play for Valencia Basket. She officially signed her contract to join the New York Liberty roster ahead of the 2026 WNBA season.
Raquel Carrera photos
