Dayshalee Salamán announces her retirement from BSNF
By THE STAR STAFF
Veteran point guard Dayshalee Salamán of the Cangrejeras of Santurce announced earlier this week that she will retire from the Women’s Superior National Basketball (BSNF by its initials in Spanish) league at the conclusion of the season.
It marks the end of a 13-season career in the league, alongside numerous international appearances as a member of the Puerto Rican national team.
“I have made the decision that this year will be my final season in the Baloncesto Superior Nacional Femenino -- a sport I love and to which I owe everything I am,” Salamán stated in written remarks on Wednesday. “Playing basketball has been my life; the ups and downs have guided my path and, at the same time, shaped who I am both on and off the court.”
Known as “Dinamita” (Dynamite), the 36-year-old said she reached the decision with a sense of peace and gratitude for the opportunities basketball has provided her, though she hopes to remain involved in the sport in other capacities.
Salamán made her BSNF debut in 2013 with the Leonas of Ponce, a team with which she won a national championship in her very first season. That same year she was unanimously named Rookie of the Year.
In the decisive game of that final series, Ponce defeated the Montañeras of Morovis 70-64 -- with Salamán scoring 13 points -- to secure the championship in five games.
Throughout her career, Salamán also excelled with the Cangrejeras, a franchise for which she has played eight seasons. She helped the team win the 2024 championship, during which she was named the Most Valuable Player of the Final Series.
Her return to the league took place in 2024, following a two-year absence prompted by the passing of her stepfather in a car accident, followed by the loss of her grandmother due to health issues. That season, she averaged 8.8 points and 3.5 assists per game -- a performance that earned her the Comeback Player of the Year award.
Internationally, Salamán represented Puerto Rico at the 2018 FIBA Women’s Basketball World Cup and the 2019 Olympic qualifying tournament, where the national team secured its spot in the Tokyo Olympic Games.
She also competed in the 2014 Central American and Caribbean Games in Veracruz, the 2017 Centrobasket and the 2017 AmeriCup. Additionally, she played as an import player in professional leagues in Argentina and Mexico.
