ABIDJAN (Cote d'Ivoire) - As the world celebrates International Women's Day, FIBA.basketball recalls the stories of six women who have left their mark on African basketball over the past twelve months.
International Women's Day is celebrated every year on 8 March to celebrate the achievements of women, to raise awareness against prejudice and to take action for equality.
Basketball and sport are powerful tools for empowering women and girls to reach new heights.
Rena Wakama (NIGERIA)
Wakama has made history by leading Nigeria's D'Tigress to the quarter-finals of the Paris Olympics.
The Nigerian women's basketball team punched their ticket to the quarter-finals with a 79-70 win over Canada, becoming the first African team, men or women, to reach the knockout stage of the Olympic Games.
The team recorded notable victories, including a 75-62 win over Australia and a 79-70 triumph over Canada.
Despite a hard-fought 88-74 loss to the United States, the team, led by the dynamic backcourt duo of Ezinne Kalu and Amy Okonkwo, had written their name in the history books.
Ingvild Mucauro (MOZAMBIQUE)
The returning Mucauro left it all on the floor as Ferroviario de Maputo were crowned 2024 Women's Basketball League Africa (WBLA) champions on Sunday 15 December after an 81-72 victory over Egypt's Al Ahly Sporting Club at the Marius Ndiaye Arena in Dakar.
It was the third title for the Nasir Salé-coached Mozambicans after winning the title in 2018 and 2019.
In the final, the 2019 Most Valuable Player (MVP) put in a Woman of the Match performance despite fouling out in the crucial final two minutes of the game to lead her team to victory.
She scored 18 points, seven rebounds and as many steals, and added four assists for a game high efficiency of 25, all in 34:41 minutes.
Ange Majolie Lonteu (CAMEROON)
The FIBA U18 Women's AfroBasket 2024 marked the first time in African basketball history that two female coaches led their respective countries to the semi-finals of a major national team tournament.
Lonteu, the youngest tactician in the 12-team competition, guided debutants Cameroon to an incredible run that saw them finish on the podium with a bronze medal for the first time.
The 30-year-old, who played in the FIBA Africa Women's Champions Cup, the predecessor to the Women's Basketball League Africa (WBLA), until 2018, led the Central Africans to a 4-2 run that saw them upset some experienced sides to finish third. "Coaching here has been a big win for young coaches in my country and I have to laud the federation for this opportunity," said the Germany-trained tactician who featured for FAP and INJS basketball in her playing days.
Ndioma Kané (SENEGAL)
The 25-year-old Kane was the driving force behind Egyptian champions Al Ahly Sporting Club's quest for the 2024 Women's Basketball League Africa (WBLA) title and was crowned the tournament's MVP.
Averaging 13 points, 6.5 rebounds and 3.8 assists, she was instrumental for the Egyptians, especially in their dramatic 65-64 win over hosts ASC Ville de Dakar in the semi-finals. She finished with a team-high 18 points, 9 defensive rebounds, seven blocks and six assists.
In the final, she scored 16 points and came within a block of a rare double-double. She added six rebounds, four steals and three assists, but it wasn't enough to push the 2019 bronze medallists over the gold line.
The Senegal international was named on the All-Tournament team alongside teammate Raneem Elgedawy, APR's Shaina Pellington, Ferroviario's Mucauro and ASC Ville de Dakar's Kamite Elisabeth Dabou.
Juliana Ojoshogu Negedu (NIGERIA)
Former Olympian Negedu brought former silver medallists Nigeria back to the U18 Women's AfroBasket stage after an absence of 14 years and they managed to repeat the feat of their last appearance.
The Junior D'Tigresses were a revelation, reaching the quarter-finals as the best third-placed team after losses to Egypt (72-60) and Uganda (80-64), and a 107-30 win over Zimbabwe.
Negedu's charges then went on a revenge mission, with Idubamo Beggi and Abigail Isaac orchestrating a 67-51 victory to take them to the semi-finals, where they met Uganda, who won 71-67.
They lost 76-56 to Mali in the final. The result sealed a return to the international stage as the finalists will represent the continent at this year's FIBA U19 Women's Basketball World Cup in the Czech Republic in Czechia.
"I feel honoured and grateful to make history. I am so excited. I wish I could have taken it all the way, bring the trophy home, but I am happy for this milestone," said Negedu who believes she can only get better with each assignment and has promised to prepare her squad for a legacy-chasing run at the U19 Women’s World Cup.
Jane Asinde (UGANDA)
Asinde captained her Uganda Gazelles to a 74-63 victory over hosts Egypt in the final of the Zone 5 qualifiers to book the East Africans' ticket to this year's Women's AfroBasket.
The 25-year-old was also named the tournament's Most Valuable Player (MVP) and Best Power Forward.
Asinde averaged 18.8 points, including 19 in the final, 10 rebounds and 4.8 assists. Her highest scoring game of the qualifiers was against South Sudan, where she scored 28 points.
She also recorded two double-doubles in five games, both against Egypt. She scored 18 points and grabbed 14 rebounds in the group stage game and doubled her tally in the final, adding 12 rebounds to her 19 points. FIBA