Dominykas Stenionis has signed a short-term contract with Bàsquet Girona, securing an opportunity to compete in the Spanish ACB league, the top tier of European club basketball, according to reports confirmed by the Spanish club. The agreement includes an option to extend the contract through the end of the season.
Dominykas Stenionis Signs Short-Term Deal With Bàsquet Girona
The 24-year-old point guard, who stands 179 centimeters tall and weighs 75 kilograms, arrived on the market after previously playing at a lower level than the ACB. Born in Kaunas, Lithuania, Stenionis joins the Girona club, which is owned by Spanish basketball legends Pau and Marc Gasol.
Roster Needs and Club Expectations
According to Girona sporting director and former basketball player Fernando San Emeterio, the acquisition was prompted by an injury to Isaac Perez. Our understanding was that we needed to strengthen the point guard position so that we could face the start of the double tournament with three players in this position, San Emeterio explained.
San Emeterio added that the club worked hard to bring in Stenionis to complete their backcourt rotation, noting that although he played at a lower level than the ACB last season, they believe he is ready to take this step and compete in the ACB, that they feel he will fit in very well with their team’s style of play, and that he is a small player with tremendous character and plenty of energy, as San Emeterio stated.
In the previous season, Bàsquet Girona finished 12th in the Spanish ACB League and missed the playoffs.
National Team Breakthrough and Past Success
Stenionis earned his opportunity with Bàsquet Girona following a breakout period with the Lithuanian national team. Initially called up to the reserve squad, his work ethic and performance earned him a promotion to the main roster. He started in the match against Turkey and drew praise from national team head coach Rimas Kurtinaitis following games against Turkey and Bosnia and Herzegovina.
Kurtinaitis stated that regardless of his height, he is a man with a capital M who defends brilliantly and covers all pick-and-rolls with that kind of aggressiveness and quickness, highlighting the player’s defensive pressure, speed, and basketball IQ. During World Cup qualifying matches, Stenionis averaged 4.5 points in 19 minutes per game and led the team in assists, handing out 10 assists across two official fixtures and 18 assists in two exhibition matches.
Before his national team exposure, Stenionis played in Latvia for Valmiera Glass, where his team won the Latvian Cup, the Latvian Championship, and the joint Latvian-Estonian League title. He was named MVP of the Latvian Cup tournament and earned spots on the symbolic all-star teams for the Latvian League and the joint regional league, where he averaged 14.4 points, 7.6 assists, 3.3 rebounds, and 1.8 steals per game.
His career path also includes a move to Panevėžys Lietkabelis for the 2024–2025 season following a lengthy rehabilitation period that required him to miss a year and a half due to consecutive tears of his right knee’s anterior cruciate ligament.
