Top 10 African Female Basketball Players Making Global Waves

Summary

• African women basketball players are gaining global recognition through record-breaking performances in the NCAA, WNBA, and FIBA competitions.
• The list features the top 10 standout athletes, including trailblazers like Nneka and Chiney Ogwumike, Ezinne Kalu, and rising stars like Madina Okot and Bella Murekatete.
• These players are not only winning titles and individual awards but also inspiring a new generation and enhancing Africa's presence in global basketball.
• Many are also actively contributing to national team success, leading their countries to AfroBasket titles and Olympic appearances.

Deep Dive!!

Lagos, Nigeria—African women basketball players are impacting the sport worldwide by crossing boundaries, breaking scoring marks, taking home titles, and motivating a new generation of hoopers. 

These women, who have been NCAA trailblazers, WNBA breakout stars, and continental MVPs, are enhancing Africa's basketball profile.

In this article, we bring you the Top 10 African Women Basketball Players Making Global Waves, with sharp focus on their accomplishments, careers, and contributions to the continent's basketball scene.

10. Bella Murekatete (Rwanda)

Murekatete, the Pac-12's co-Most Improved Player of the Year and Rwanda's trailblazer, raised Rwanda's reputation internationally by becoming the first woman born in Rwanda to play NCAA Division I basketball.

Bella Murekatete holds multiple Washington State University records, including: Career blocks (188), career rebounds (990), career starts (145), and career games played (153).

Her awards and recognitions include: 

• Pac-12 Co-Most Improved Player of the Year (2022)
• All-Pac-12 Tournament Team (2023)
• All-Pac-12 Honourable Mention
• Lisa Leslie Award Midseason Top-10 Finalist (an award for the top centres in women's NCAA Division I)
• Lisa Leslie Award Preseason Watch List
• Preseason All-Pac-12 team (2023-24)

At the FIBA U18 Women's African Championships (2018), Bella was named to the All-Star Five team as the tournament's top rebounder. In 2015, she also made the FIBA Africa Championship All-Star Five.

9. Adut Bulgak (South Sudan)

At Florida State University (FSU), Bulgak was a highly accomplished athlete who received numerous All-America honours. In terms of scoring, blocking shots, and rebounds, she holds multiple FSU program records.

She was a two-time NJCAA All-American and the WBCA NJCAA Division I Player of the Year at Trinity Valley Community College, where she also won an NJCAA D1 Championship, before attending FSU.

She played for the Chicago Sky before being selected by the New York Liberty in the first round (12th overall) of the 2016 WNBA Draft.

Bulgak has played for Canada on the Senior Women's National B Team (winning the William Jones Cup) and the National Development Team (earning a silver medal at the World University Games).

She has also played a significant role for the women's national basketball team of South Sudan. She has played abroad for periods of time in South Korea, Mexico, Russia, Spain, France, and Israel.

8. Madina Okot (Kenya)

The 6'6" Kenyan wonderkid currently plays for the Lionesses of Kenya and the University of South Carolina. She is the most talented African female prospect of her generation and was a standout at the Nike Hoop Summit.

She led Kenya to victory and was named MVP of the 2023 FIBA 3x3 Africa Cup on the international front. She was the top rebounder on the continent in 2022 and was selected to the "Team of the Tournament" in the 2023 FIBA Africa Women's Basketball League, where she also played a significant role for the Kenya Ports Authority (KPA), gaining a league title from the Kenyan Basketball Federation. 

At the 2023 Nike Hoop Summit, Okot was the only African player chosen for the World Select Women's Team and has played for the Kenya Lionesses (5-a-side national team).

She had an outstanding 2024–25 season at Mississippi State University, starting every game and averaging a respectable 12 double-doubles in points and rebounds. She is now set to move to the prestigious University of South Carolina. In 2022, she was also named the "most promising girl" in Kenyan sports.

7. Victoria Reynolds (Kenya)

Reynolds, who plays internationally in the USA, Mexico, and Spain, is a clutch shooter and leader who was named MVP of the Zone 5 qualifications for leading Kenya to its greatest WBLA finish.

She was a standout player at William & Mary, winning CAA Player of the Week and being named to the Second Team All-CAA. 

She was a member of the program's most successful class and finished 13th overall with 1,248 career points, making her a notable figure in the school's record books. 

Victoria Reynolds scored frequently and played a variety of positions, recording a double-double with 15 points and 15 rebounds.

Reynolds has been an outstanding player for the Kenya Lionesses, the national team, in the professional and international scene. She led Kenya to the zonal championship and AfroBasket qualifiers, where she also won the Best Small Forward award, and was voted MVP at the 2021 FIBA Africa Zone 5 Women's AfroBasket qualifiers.

In July 2021, she was named the LG/SJAK Sports Personality of the Month for her outstanding achievement. In the Lionesses' successive AfroBasket qualifiers, she remains an essential player. 

She has played professionally for teams in Kenya (Kenya Ports Authority, or KPA), Portugal (Imortal), and Spain (Plasencia). In the 2023 FIBA Africa Women's Basketball League, she averaged strong figures for KPA.

She is currently playing for REG Women BBC in Rwanda, also participating in the FIBA Women's Basketball League Africa Qualifiers.

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6. Ndioma Kané (Senegal)

Senegalese basketball star Ndioma Kané is renowned for her significant contributions at the club and international levels.

By leading the competition in blocks, she demonstrated her defensive prowess and won the 2024 FIBA Women's Basketball League Africa (WBLA) MVP award. 

Due to her impressive offensive efforts, she was also chosen for the 2024 WBLA All-Star Team and the 2026 FIBA Women's World Cup Pre-Qualifying Tournament All-Tournament Team, where she led Senegal in scoring.

Kané made her senior debut in 2024 and has been a key player for the Senegal National Team ever since. She led the team in scoring at the 2026 FIBA Women's World Cup Pre-Qualifying Tournament. 

Having participated in the FIBA Women's AfroBasket since 2013, she has a history with the national team and is anticipated to remain an important member as they aim to win the AfroBasket championship. 

She is a member of the Al Ahly Sporting Club in Egypt, which she helped to win the 2024 WBLA before the championship game. She has also played professionally in Portugal and Spain in the past.

5. Evelyn Akhator (Nigeria)

Nigerian basketball star Evelyn Akhator has had great success in her WNBA, international, and collegiate careers.

At the University of Kentucky, Akhator was a standout player who set program records for most single-season double-doubles (18) and was named to the First and Second Teams of the SEC on several occasions. 

For the Wildcats, she also has outstanding career numbers in scoring, rebounds, and field goal percentage. She assisted Chipola Junior College in winning a national championship in 2014–15 before Kentucky.

She became the highest draft pick in Kentucky women's basketball history when the Dallas Wings selected her with the third overall choice in the 2017 WNBA Draft, recognising her skill. After spending her debut season with the Wings, she later agreed to a training camp contract with the Chicago Sky.

4. Ezinne Kalu (Nigeria)

Nigerian professional basketball player Ezinne Kalu is renowned for her achievements at the club, collegiate, and international levels.

Kalu has played an essential part in the Nigerian National Team's (D'Tigress) successful run, which has seen them win three straight FIBA Women's AfroBasket titles (2017, 2019, 2021). She made the All-Star Team in 2019 and 2021 and was named the FIBA Women's AfroBasket MVP in 2019. 

In addition to helping Nigeria to their first-ever Olympic quarterfinal berth, Kalu has played for Nigeria in two Olympic basketball tournaments (Tokyo 2020 and Paris 2024). 

She is notable for gaining a spot on the Paris 2024 Olympic second team. She also played a key role in several Olympic qualifying tournaments and competed in the 2018 FIBA Women's Basketball World Cup.

As the first female player in Savannah State University's history to score more than 2,000 career points, Kalu accomplished a noteworthy milestone during her time there.  In 2015, she led her team to their first MEAC Tournament Championship and was named to the First Team All-MEAC.

Kalu has won multiple individual awards during her professional club career abroad, including Defensive Player of the Year in Budapest (2017), All-Imports France League (2020), and Guard of the Year in France's 1st Division (2020).  

She has represented teams in Portugal, Hungary, Germany, France, Turkey, Russia, Italy, and China. Most recently, in 2024, she played for the Atlanta Dream in the WNBA.

3. Arike Ogunbowale (USA / Nigerian descent)

A prominent American basketball player, Arike Ogunbowale, is presently a member of the Dallas Wings of the WNBA. She has won two WNBA All-Star Game MVP awards (2021, 2024) and four WNBA All-Star selections (2021–2024). 

Additionally, she was selected to the All-WNBA First Team in 2020 and twice to the All-WNBA Second Team in 2021 and 2024. 

Along with her WNBA honours, she led the league in steals in 2024 and won the WNBA scoring championship in 2020. 

She had a great collegiate career at Notre Dame outside of the WNBA, which was capped off with her 2018 NCAA championship triumph and her selection as the NCAA Tournament MOP (Most Outstanding Player).

2. Chiney Ogwumike (Nigeria / USA)

Chiney Ogwumike won the 2014 WNBA Rookie of the Year award and was named a two-time WNBA All-Star in 2014 and 2018. 

In 2014, she was also named to the WNBA All-Rookie Team. Ogwumike is now an established sportscaster in addition to her playing career. 

She is the first Black woman to host a national daily sports-talk radio program for ESPN. She also works for ESPN as an NBA analyst, where she can be seen on NBA Countdown and NBA Today.

1. Nneka Ogwumike (Nigeria / USA)

In women's basketball, Nneka Ogwumike is a highly talented and decorated player whose career has been characterised by notable individual honours, team titles, and steady, excellent play at every level.

Ogwumike, a 2016 WNBA Champion, is renowned for making the game-winning basket during the Finals. She was selected first overall and went on to win WNBA MVP (2016) and WNBA Rookie of the Year (2012). 

She has been named a WNBA All-Star ten times and is the player with the most field goals in All-Star Game history. She has been selected to the All-WNBA team seven times, including one First Team, and to the All-Defensive Team seven times, including four First Team choices. 

Nneka was named one of the WNBA's Top 25 Players in 2021. In addition to her achievements on the court, she has won the WNBA Community Assist Award and the Kim Perrot Sportsmanship Award three times.

Since 2016, she has also held the position of President of the WNBA Players Association. She re-signed for 2025 and is currently with the Seattle Storm.

With USA Basketball, Ogwumike has a stellar record. In 2014 and 2018, she won gold at the FIBA Women's World Cup. In addition, she was selected to the all-tournament team for the FIBA Under-19 World Championship (2009), the FIBA Americas U18 Championship (2008), and the World University Games (2011), where she won gold.

Ogwumike has also had success in international professional competitions, having won a EuroLeague title with Dynamo Kursk in Russia (2017) and a championship with CCC Polkowice in Poland (2012–13). She has represented Chinese teams as well.