2024 Olympics: Nigeria’s Kalu headlines ladies’s basketball standouts

The ladies’s 5×5 basketball group stage has concluded, and as groups make the journey to Paris from Lille, a hierarchy of gamers is being solid.

Like all the time, most of the match’s superstars have had related fates within the WNBA. Belgium’s Emma Meesseman, the 2019 Finals MVP for the Washington Mystics, leads the match in factors (26.3 per recreation) for the second-straight Olympics. Dallas Wings star Satou Sabally is second, and her 33 factors in Germany’s win over Japan was probably the most scored in an Olympic recreation since 2016. A’ja Wilson and Breanna Stewart have been expectedly unguardable for Staff USA. Nevertheless, a handful of lesser recognized gamers are rising as stars in their very own proper, and making their names recognized on the most important stage.

Ezinne Kalu (Nigeria)

Photograph by Gregory Shamus/Getty Photographs

Fairly frankly, Nigeria’s total roster deserves a nod for his or her performances to this point. Even the most-researched basketball analysts didn’t anticipate D’Tigress to make it out of Lille, and but Nigeria completed group play with a 2-1 file and a optimistic level differential. They’re the primary African workforce—ladies’s or males’s—to achieve the Olympic quarterfinals. They’ll tackle Staff USA, who hasn’t misplaced an Olympic recreation since 1992, on Wednesday.

Followers of Staff USA who’ve but to look at Nigeria compete will know the title Ezinne Kalu by the point the ultimate whistle sounds. Kalu, who hails from Newark, New Jersey, had a prestigious profession at Savannah State College earlier than embarking on her ongoing worldwide basketball journey. D’Tigress run by way of Kalu. She’s fifth within the match in scoring at 19.3 factors per recreation, and all 4 gamers above her have been multiple-time WNBA All-Stars. She notched 19 factors, 5 rebounds, 5 assists and three steals in Nigeria’s upset of Australia, one of the well-rounded performances within the group stage.

Kalu’s greatest trait could also be her capability to get to the free-throw line— one thing that’s typically dismissed as an actual talent in basketball discourse. She’s taking pictures 7.3 free throws per recreation (second within the match), and changing them at an 86.4 % clip. She likes to play off two ft and soar into the physique of larger defenders, forcing them into a call: go for the block and danger fouling or enable Kalu to attain. If she will get downhill on the similar charge towards Staff USA’s guards, she’ll put the American forwards in uncomfortable positions. Getting A’ja Wilson or Breanna Stewart in foul hassle would make Wednesday’s quarterfinal much more aggressive.

Alexis Peterson (Germany)

Photograph by Garrett W. Ellwood/NBAE by way of Getty Photographs

Group C introduced as an uphill battle for Germany, who had by no means earlier than competed in an Olympic match. Between the indomitable Staff USA, battle-tested Belgium and streaky Japan, German followers had been content material sufficient seeing their workforce take the courtroom in Lille. After besting Belgium and Japan, Germany will probably be making the journey to Paris for the quarterfinals.

Satou Sabally is undoubtedly the star of the German facet, however Alexis Peterson has confirmed simply as vital to their workforce success. Peterson has performed the second-most minutes of anybody within the match, trailing solely Emma Meesseman of Belgium. She’s averaging 13 factors on 40/36/90 splits, including six assists per recreation. Peterson has unmatched velocity on the ground, and he or she paces a German offense that always appears misplaced when she’s on the bench. Sabally calls for consideration, however Peterson makes groups pay for affording her an excessive amount of.

Peterson was the 2016 ACC Participant of the Yr at Syracuse and was chosen No. 15 general by the Seattle Storm within the 2017 WNBA Draft. She hasn’t performed within the WNBA since her rookie season, however not for an absence of attempting. Peterson was named to 3 totally different coaching camp rosters since 2018, most not too long ago with the Las Vegas Aces earlier than the 2023 season. Being missed has clearly fueled the 5-foot-5 level guard. She’s been probably the most animated persona on the courtroom in France, particularly in Germany’s matchup with Staff USA. A motivated Alexis Peterson is without doubt one of the final issues any workforce desires to see within the knockout stage.

Maki Takada (Japan)

Photograph by Gregory Shamus/Getty Photographs

Albeit a return to actuality, Japan’s winless group stage is disappointing within the shadow of their 2020 silver medal marketing campaign. Losses to Germany and Belgium felt preventable for a workforce that dominated simply three years prior. Nevertheless, workforce struggles received’t invalidate spectacular particular person performances.

She’ll go away France empty handed, however Maki Takada made probably the most out of her third, and certain closing, Olympic expertise. Takada anchored Japan in scoring at 15.3 factors per recreation, good for ninth within the group stage. She was simply probably the most environment friendly high-volume scorer in Lille, taking pictures 61.3 % from the ground, 41.7 % from 3 and 75 % from the free throw line. On an undersized Japanese workforce that struggles to defend, Takada’s 6-foot-1 body allowed her to compete on each ends of the ground.

Takada’s scoring output and effectivity had been eerily just like her manufacturing in Tokyo. Whereas these Olympics have introduced Japan’s collective capability into query, Takada has performed nothing however solidify her personal repute as an offensive powerhouse. Age might sadly isolate Takada from WNBA contract affords. She has the talent and the scale to compete with the league’s high expertise, however extending a invaluable roster spot to a 34-year-old with no stateside expertise could also be a misplaced trigger for many basic managers. Nonetheless, Takada might be a candidate for future enlargement groups just like the Golden State Valkyries, who might look to complement their enlargement roster with abroad expertise.

Mai Yamamoto deserves a short point out as effectively. The 24-year-old guard recorded 17 factors and 5 assists towards Staff USA, however sustained a concussion within the recreation and was unable to compete within the different two group stage contests. Yamamoto, who was a member of Japan’s 3×3 workforce within the 2020 Olympics, rapidly established herself as a high possibility for her nation and will probably be a reputation to look at in worldwide basketball going ahead.