ABIDJAN (Cote d'Ivoire) -Senegal women's basketball veteran Fatou Kine Ndiaye has predicted continued growth in African women's basketball as more coaches' and players' clinics are rolled out across the continent.
She was speaking during a youth coaches' clinic run by University of Connecticut's assistant coach Jamelle Elliott, on the sidelines of the 2025 Women's AfroBasket in Abidjan. Ndiaye who represented Senegal in the continental showpiece in her playing days believes FIBA's consistency in running such clinics during each Women's AfroBasket edition has contributed to the growth being witnessed in the women's game.
"I can see the evolution of African basketball and it keeps evolving for the better. Basketball nations like South Sudan, Uganda, Rwanda among others are challenging the powerhouses as has been witnessed in the recent AfroBasket editions. There are no favourites. . Ordinarily, it means that the countries are working, that the level is developing gradually, not just at the continental level, but at the global level too. Coaching clinics, like FIBA's initiative and the efforts of individual federations have helped women's basketball grow as more players are getting the skills necessary to bridge the gap between Africa and other continents," Ndiaye told FIBA.basketball. Ndiaye was part of a contingent of over 40 coaches who attended coach Elliott's session, her second in Abidjan after a first event that had over 50 participants drawn from Cote d'Ivoire's top three leagues and the Women's AfroBasket team's tacticians.
She continued, "From performances in the Women's U19 World Cup where Mali have reached the Semis, to Nigeria D'Tigresses' historic feat at the Paris Olympics where they became the first African team to reach the basketball quarters at the Summer Games, Africa has made very good impressions globally and with more investments, we can compete at the same level with the rest." Her recommendations to keep the momentum going include spotting talents early through such clinics and training camps, organised leagues and follow ups. "What we can do is precisely continue to work at federation level and develop women's basketball from the local leagues. This would include early exposure for players, to the game and to better leagues, as well as following the progress of said players and maintaining professionalism at all levels," she concluded.
On her part, Elliott, who has handled several African talents in her vast coaching tenures with the University of Connecticut and the University of Cincinnati women's basketball teams, says Africa has the talent and physique, insisting that getting the basics right is key for the continent to catch up with the rest of the world.
FIBA