Several players over the years have turned into a different beast when playing for the Spanish national team, and new FC Barcelona signing Willy Hernangomez is no different. Last summer he was named the EuroBasket 2022 MVP after helping Spain become European champion, and on Saturday he started the 2023 FIBA World Cup with a dominant performance in La Roja's 94-64 victory against the Ivory Coast at Indonesia Arena in Jakarta, Indonesia.
The older Hernangomez brother got his work done in a hurry against the Ivory Coast, finishing with a game-high 22 points – in addition to 5 rebounds, 1 assist and 1 steal – in just over two-and-a-half quarters of play. In fact, Willy came out of the game with 2:24 minutes remaining in the third quarter, at which point Spain was ahead 71-44, and he was able to see out the rest of the game from the bench.