Women's National Basketball Association (WNBA) Players and Coaches to Lead Top African Prospects at Fourth NBA Academy Women’s Camp Africa in Senegal
The 2022 NBA Academy Women’s Camp Africa will bring together 25 of the top female prospects from 11 African countries to learn directly from current and former WNBA players and coaches
The NBA Academy Women’s Program has helped identify and develop some of the best female prospects in the world, many of whom have gone on to attend NCAA Division 1 schools
NBA (www.NBA.com) Africa today announced that the fourth NBA Academy Women’s Camp Africa will take place from Monday, Dec. 5 – Thursday, Dec. 8 at NBA Academy Africa, an elite basketball training center in Saly, Senegal for the top high-school age prospects from across the continent.
The 2022 NBA Academy Women’s Camp Africa will bring together 25 of the top female prospects from 11 African countries to learn directly from current and former WNBA players and coaches, including Seattle Storm head coach and 2021 WNBA Commissioner’s Cup winner Noelle Quinn (U.S.), 2005 WNBA champion Hamchetou Maïga-Ba (Mali), two-time WNBA champion Taj McWilliams-Franklin (U.S.), 2003 WNBA champion Astou Ndiaye (Senegal), 2021 WNBA All-Star Game Most Valuable Player Arike Ogunbowale (Dallas Wings; U.S.; ties to Nigeria), and 2017 WNBA All-Star Jasmine Thomas (Connecticut Sun; U.S.). The campers and coaches will also participate in life skills programming and leadership development sessions.
“In just a few years, the NBA Academy Women’s Program has helped identify and develop some of the best female prospects in the world, many of whom have gone on to attend NCAA Division 1 schools,” said two-time WNBA champion and NBA Elite Basketball Women’s Operations Lead Monica Rogers. “We look forward to building on that success with our fourth NBA Academy Women’s Program camp in Senegal as part of our continued efforts to make basketball more accessible in Africa and provide a predicable pathway for African youth to learn the game and maximize their potential.”
Launched in 2018, the NBA Academy Women’s Program is a series of basketball development camps for top female athletes from outside the U.S. at the league’s academies in Australia, India, Mexico and Senegal. The three previous NBA Academy Women’s Camps Africa were held at NBA Academy Africa in May 2018, November 2018 and November 2019. Eight former NBA Academy Women’s Camp Africa participants have committed to or gone on to attend NCAA Division I schools in the U.S.
The following is a complete list of players participating in the 2022 NBA Academy Women’s Camp Africa (roster subject to change):
|
First Name |
Last Name |
Country |
|
Marie Ann |
Dakuyo |
Burkina Faso |
|
Gisele |
Kipo |
Cameroon |
|
Hannah |
Dibadjou |
Cameroon |
|
Injy |
El Ghayesh |
Egypt |
|
Malak |
Elalfy |
Egypt |
|
Salma |
Khedr |
Egypt |
|
Murielle |
Ramahatra |
Madagascar |
|
Rakotonanahary |
Joani |
Madagascar |
|
Fatoumata |
Samake |
Mali |
|
Aya |
El Kallali |
Morocco |
|
Albertina |
Matsinhe |
Mozambique |
|
Lurdes |
Bata |
Mozambique |
|
Shanaya |
Matusse |
Mozambique |
|
Ayah |
James |
Nigeria |
|
Bright |
Eze |
Nigeria |
|
Franca |
Iyamah |
Nigeria |
|
Patience |
John |
Nigeria |
|
Adja Hinedou |
Ndiaye |
Senegal |
|
Die |
Diop |
Senegal |
|
Fatou |
Correa |
Senegal |
|
Ndickou Matar |
Diop |
Senegal |
|
Penda |
Dieng |
Senegal |
|
Seynabou |
Mbaye |
Senegal |
|
Reatlegile |
Taukobong |
South Africa |
|
Arwa |
Ghorbel |
Tunisia |
Distributed by APO Group on behalf of National Basketball Association (NBA).
Contact:
Yasmina Bileoma
yasmina.bileoma@apo-opa.com
About NBA Africa:
NBA Africa is a standalone entity formed in May 2021 that conducts the NBA’s business in Africa, including the Basketball Africa League (BAL). The NBA has a long history in Africa and opened its African headquarters in Johannesburg, South Africa in 2010 before opening additional offices in Dakar, Senegal, and Lagos, Nigeria. The league’s efforts on the continent have focused on increasing access to basketball and the NBA through youth and elite development, social responsibility, media distribution, corporate partnerships, NBA Africa Games, the BAL, and more.
NBA games and programming are available in all 54 African countries, and the NBA has hosted three sold-out exhibition games on the continent since 2015. The BAL, a partnership between the International Basketball Federation (FIBA) and NBA Africa, is a professional league featuring 12 club teams from across Africa that completed its second season in May 2022. Fans can follow @NBA_Africa and @theBAL on Facebook, Instagram, Twitter and YouTube.
About NBA Academy:
NBA Academy is a year-round elite basketball development program that provides top high school-age athletes from outside the U.S. with a holistic approach to player development and a predictable pathway to maximize their potential. The program emphasizes health and wellness, character development and life skills, and gives athletes the opportunity to learn the game from coaches with professional, collegiate and international coaching experience. Since 2017, NBA Academies have been launched in Canberra, Australia; Greater Noida, India; San Luis Potosí, Mexico; and Saly, Senegal for top prospects from their respective countries and continents. In March 2018, the NBA launched the NBA Academy Women’s Program, a series of basketball development camps for top female prospects from outside the U.S at the league’s academies. To date, more than 80 NBA Academy participants have committed to or gone on to attend NCAA Division I schools in the U.S., and 14 have played, are playing or have signed to play professionally. Find out more about the NBA Academy program at NBAAcademy.NBA.com, on Twitter (@NBAAcademyPR) and on Instagram (https://bit.ly/3H5PaVw).