Basketball
OLD IS GOLD: A REVIEW OF PAST EIGHT AFROBASKETWOMEN CHAMPIONSHIPS
The life span of a female athlete is often considered short but not for these select five women that are defying the odds and playing basketball at the highest level in Africa and at the world stage for close to two decades.
From an environment that is slowly but steadily adjusting to women being full time athletes to cultural and religious stereotypes about women playing basketball or sport in general, these heroines stand out for their commitment and continued excellence at the top.
Age is just a number. For them, hard work and humility amidst success is what keeps them going but most importantly the support of key stakeholders in their lives like family, team officials, Governments and passionate fans that have committed to supporting women’s basketball along with its success stories and failures in hand.
Ngiendula Filipe (Angola)
A two-time FIBA Women’s AfroBasket winner with Angola in 2011 and 2013, Felipe is one of a kind. Having also won the FIBA Africa Women’s Champions Cup an impressive four times with Inter Clube between 2010-2016, she is Africa’s most decorated player at both country and club level since the turn of the century.
Filipe is playing at her eighth straight FIBA Women’s AfroBasket and to say that this record is absolutely amazing is an understatement.
Her shyness on and off the court means that it is easy not to
pay attention to her but she is one to let all her work do the talking on
court. She casts a lone figure visibly most of the time – a woman of a few
words but those inside the paint have a different perspective of her
works.
At 37, she belongs to the upper class of older and wiser players at the ongoing FIBA Women’s AfroBasket in Senegal and is averaging 7.8 points, 4.3 rebounds and 0.5 assists. Her performance has inspired Angola to the Tokyo 2020 Olympics pre-qualifying tournament that will be played in November.
Filipe also played for Angola at the London 2012 Olympics as well as the FIBA Women’s Basketball World Cup in 2014 in Turkey.
Astou Traore (Senegal)
At 38, Traore is featuring in her seventh edition of the FIBA Women’s AfroBasket and befittingly so at home where she hopes to win her second African title.
Standing at 1.83m (6ft), Senegal’s poster girl made her debut in 2005 guiding her side to second place finish in Abuja, Nigeria. She was her side’s best performer averaging 13.3 points and six rebounds per game in six matches.
This is the moment a star was born – a memorable one indeed. This performance earned her a place in the Tournament Five.
However, Senegal lost the 2007 Final to Mali and Traore was not part of the Senegal side that won the 2009 title in Madagascar. Another heartbreak for Traore in 2011 as Senegal lost the final to Angola before finishing third two years later.
She was on the smiling end in 2015, finally winning her first African crown but these failures did not in any way halt her individual performances nevertheless.
She finally achieved her dream in 2015 when Senegal defeated hosts Cameroon 81-66 to win their record 12th FIBA Women’s AfroBasket title but it was Traore’s first and she will never forget the feeling. Defending this title became a nightmare when they lost to Nigeria 65-48 two years ago in Mali.
However, the 2019 edition presents an opportunity to correct all past mistakes and give the home fans their first home title at home since 1993 when Traore was only 12.
Traore, who won the Most Valuable Player award in 2017, is still Senegal’s best player averaging 15.8 points and 8.8 rebounds at this competition.
Leia Dongue (Mozambique)
Dongue is Mozambique’s best player over the past one decade and the numbers are there to tell half of the story and affirm her commitment to her nation.
The other half of the story is that her drive on court and ability to scare off opponents is what continuously has her name in the best players of every edition and the 2019 one is not any different.
Dongue made her FIBA Women’s AfroBasket debut as a teenager at
18 in 2009 and averaged 9.4 points as Mozambique finished sixth at the biennial
competition to firmly introduce herself onto the African continent.
She has since played in four editions since her debut in 2011 and 2013 even though she missed out on the 2015 event in Yaounde, Cameroon before bouncing back in 2017 and 2019 where she led Mozambique to the Semi-Finals
She also was part of the Mozambique side that played at the FIBA Olympic Qualifying Tournament 2012 for Women in Ankara, Turkey but her side did not make it to the London 2012 Olympics.
Two years down the road, Dongue attained her dream of playing at the FIBA Women’s Basketball World Cup 2014 in Turkey – a feat that will always be memorable to her playing at the world’s biggest stage.
Dongue is averaging 14.3 points and 7.8 rebounds at the ongoing edition in Dakar. She scored an incredible 25 points and picked nine rebounds to inspire Mozambique past Egypt 80-66 in the Quarter-Finals before inspiring her side to a near win over the hosts Senegal in a tightly contested Semi-Final that saw Senegal win 60-57 on Friday night.
Kani Kouyate (Cote d’Ivoire)
A shining star in a team that has earned its place among the
best on the African continent, Kouyate has always given everything she has at
the FIBA Women’s AfroBasket.
Kouyate, who is a sister to Mariama Kouyate that also features for Cote d’Ivoire, is the heart of the West African side. Her leadership on court brings the team together and like they say, experience cannot be bought but rather earned and with it comes experience.
This can visibly be seen when players from other teams meet her in the corridors of the magnificent Dakar Arena. Even where there is a language barrier be it Portuguese speaking players or Anglophones, respect is shown to one of a kind.
Her speed on the floor and great decision making speaks of a very experienced player that is playing a very key role as this youthful Cote d’Ivoire side continues to find a balance between the veteran and upcoming young players like Safietou Kolga, Mariam Gnanou, Irene Bognini and Hana Mabelle Amani.
Kouyate is averaging 10.6 points and seven rebounds so far at the tournament and even though Cote d’Ivoire have never won the FIBA Women’s AfroBasket, to feature at six editions missing out on the 2015 edition when her side failed to qualify at the hands of Nigeria.
Nevertheless, Kouyate has established her name among the greats that are playing high level basketball in Africa. When asked about retirement, Kouyate said she is far from it at the moment and still has a lot to offer.
– FIBA
President Bola Ahmed Tinubu has conferred national honours on all members of Nigeria’s women’s basketball team, D’Tigress, in recognition of their historic victory at the 2025 FIBA Women’s AfroBasket Championship in Côte d’Ivoire.
Each member of the team was decorated with the Officer of the Order of the Niger (OON) title at a special reception held on Monday at the Presidential Villa in Abuja. Representing the president at the event was Vice President Kashim Shettima, who announced a series of generous rewards for the champions.
In addition to the national honours, each player will receive $100,000, while each member of the technical crew will be given $50,000. The government also pledged a flat in the Federal Capital Territory (FCT) to every player and official on the squad.
The rewards follow D’Tigress’s emphatic 78-64 win over Mali in Sunday’s AfroBasket final, played at the Palais des Sports de Treichville in Abidjan. The victory marked Nigeria’s fifth consecutive AfroBasket title, a feat unmatched in the tournament’s history. With the triumph, D’Tigress also secured an automatic berth to the 2026 FIBA Women’s Basketball World Cup in Berlin, Germany.
President Tinubu, in his remarks delivered by Vice President Shettima, hailed the team’s resilience, determination, and consistency, describing their dominance on the continental stage as a symbol of national pride and inspiration to the youth.
Present at the reception were First Lady Senator Oluremi Tinubu, Femi Gbajabiamila, Chief of Staff to the President, Garba Maidoki, Chairman of the Senate Committee on Youths and Sports Development, and Kabiru Amadou, Chairman of the House Committee on Sports.
The honours and incentives underscore the government’s renewed commitment to recognising excellence in sports and motivating future champions.
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Nigeria’s President Bola Ahmed Tinubu has congratulated the national women’s basketball team, D’Tigress, on their triumphant outing at the 2025 FIBA Women’s AfroBasket, describing the victory as a testament to the nation’s indomitable spirit and sporting excellence.
In line with what the women’s football team, Super Falcons, experienced barely a week ago, another dollar rainfall could be in the offing for the basketball team.
In a statement released Monday by his Special Adviser on Information and Strategy, Bayo Onanuga, President Tinubu praised the Coach Rena Wakama-led side for their “skill, resilience, determination, and teamwork,” which powered them to a 78–64 victory over Mali in Sunday night’s pulsating final at the Palais des Sports de Treichville in Abidjan, Côte d’Ivoire.
With this win, Nigeria extended their dominance in African women’s basketball, securing their fifth consecutive AfroBasket title and seventh overall, further solidifying their status as the continent’s most successful women’s team.
The President, who had earlier dispatched a nine-man presidential delegation to Abidjan to support the team in the final, commended the players for rising to the occasion despite a slow start that saw them lose the first quarter to a determined Malian side.
“Your superb performance throughout the competition has made Nigeria proud. Like the Super Falcons, you have inspired our young ladies. You embodied the indomitable Nigerian spirit, the power of unity, and the rewards of hard work,” President Tinubu said.
He added that D’Tigress’ sustained excellence had “written their names in history” and served as a beacon of what Africa can offer on the global sporting stage.
The President also praised Head Coach Rena Wakama and her technical crew for their outstanding leadership, and commended the Nigeria Basketball Federation (NBBF) for their steadfast support to the team.
In an apparent nod to the recent cash rewards showered on the Super Falcons, there is strong speculation that a similar financial windfall may await D’Tigress on their return to Nigeria.
“The Federal Government and Nigerians will never forget the sacrifices and remain grateful for the highly elevating performances,” Tinubu stated, assuring the team of continued support as they prepare for the FIBA Women’s Basketball World Cup qualifying tournaments next March.
President Tinubu concluded his message by expressing eagerness to personally receive the victorious team and their trophy in Abuja and wished them a safe trip back home.
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South Sudan’s Bright Starlets are the 2025 Women’s AfroBasket bronze medallist.
The debutants who made the competition on a wild card, stunned 11-time champions Senegal 66-65 in the Third-Place Game on Sunday, August 3 to clinch their first ever medal in the continental showpiece.
Their win over Senegal, who were looking to end a decade-long wait for gold, makes it the third time the West Africans have missed out on the podium in 26 editions. They missed in the inaugural edition in 1966 and in 2021 in Cameroon, finishing fourth on both occasions.
Senegal had a start to forget, scoring a single point in the opening seven minutes, finishing the period trailing 26-10. An 18-9 show in the second stanza got their comeback efforts going.
South Sudan still had a 10-point lead with 4 minutes and 41 seconds to play in the third, but Victorine Thiaw contributed seven in a 10-0 run for the Senegalese, to level the score at 44 and it was game on.
Khadija Faye handed Senegal their first short-lived lead at 46-45, but they trailed 50-48 heading to the final quarter.
Lena Timera gave the 11-time champions their biggest lead yet with a step back jump shot from deep for 58-54 but the debutants refused to budge.
A dramatic final minute saw Thiaw and Faye miss four crucial points from the charity stripe with the score tied at 65. Cierra Dillard’s foul with 6 seconds left gave Nyamer Lual Diew the chance to win it for South Sudan, converting one for the massive victory.
HERO
Maria Teresa Gakdeng, on debut for the Bright Starlets, has continued to prove a formidable addition for the East Africans, and she demonstrated that yet again with a huge performance.
She came two blocks shy of a triple-double after shooting for 14, the team’s second highest, while grabbing 13 rebounds and added three assists to finish with an efficiency rating of 26.
Skipper Adut Bulgak scored 14 as well, while leading the side on defense with 11 of her 13 rebounds. Delicia Washington was the side’s top scorer with 22, coming two assists off a double-double and adding 5 rebounds.
The trio will, however, have Diew to thank for the victory in regulation time, as a miss would probably have send the match to overtime.
STATS DON’T LIE
Despite allowing Senegal to score 30 from their 29 turnovers, and missing 14 of their 32 chances from the charity stripe, South Sudan kept themselves in the game with a better show on field goals where they converted 45.8% of their chances against Senegal’s 38.3%.
They out rebounded Senegal 44-26, 29-17 on defense to deny the 2023 silver medalist any second chance scoring opportunities.
BOTTOM LINE
South Sudan have left an indelible mark on debut, reaching the podium in a historic run that saw them come from two losses in the Group Phase to beat Egypt, Uganda and Senegal for the very first time and become the first debutant to be on the podium.
The West Africans, meanwhile, will have some reflections as they are yet to reclaim their dominance of yesteryears. This is the second time since their last title in 2015 that they are missing out on the podium.
WHAT THEY SAID: “Wins happen, losses happen, you can’t win them all. What really matters in sports is how you regroup the next day. You have to have a short memory in this field.
Speaking to our resilience as a team and the mental toughness that took to overcome what happened yesterday [semifinal loss against Mali] and throughout this tournament… This is our first run in AfroBasket and our team deserves to be here.
“The girls have shown it this time around, especially of how young they are. I am looking forward to what the future has for us.” South Sudan power forward Adut Bulgak.
FIBA
Final Standing of the 2025 FIBA Women’s AfroBasket
1. Nigeria 2. Mali 3. South Sudan 4. Senegal 5. Cameroon 6. Mozambique 7. Cote d’Ivoire 8. Uganda 9. Egypt 10. Angola 11. Rwanda 12. Guinea
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