2022 Class of FIBA Hall of Fame: Mame Maty Mbengue
23/11/2022
Hall of Fame
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2022 Class of FIBA Hall of Fame: Mame Maty Mbengue

MIES (Switzerland) - Mame Maty Mbengue is being inducted to the FIBA Hall of Fame in honor of her amazing career and talent, which was so impressive that she was elected as the best African player ever.

She is being  enshrined in the Class of 2022 as part of a nine-strong group that have all contributed significantly to the development of women's basketball. 

Mbengue is joined by Robyn Maher (Australia), Lisa Leslie (USA), Catarina Pollini (Italy) and Jurgita Streimikyte-Virbickiene (Lithiuania).  The Class also includes deserved recognition for a number of coaches including Geno Auriemma (USA), Antonio Barbosa (Brazil), Maria Planas (Spain) and Milan 'Ciga' Vasojevic (Serbia) who will be inducted posthumously. 

Mbengue was a trophy magnet for her country and when it came to collecting individual honors too

The headline which encapsulates just how powerful, skilled and influential Mbengue was in her career is that she won the FIBA Women's AfroBasket title five times with Senegal and was MVP of the flagship competition four times.

Her influence on African Basketball has been huge, inspiring generations to pick up a game ball with her amazing performances that spanned almost two decades.

As well as delivering Continental glory including when she was just 17 years-old in 1984, then replicating the golden success in 1990, 1993, 1997 and 2001, Mbengue also flew the flag proudly for her country and for Africa on the global stage too.

Mbengue had the thrill of leading her country at the 2000 Olympic Games in Sydney

She stepped out at the FIBA Women's Basketball World Cup in 1990 and 1998, then got to become an Olympian when leading her team at the 2000 Sydney Games. 

Her exploits have landed her many individual honors in addition to the MVP accolades. She even gained recognition for her College performances in the States when she was inducted to the University of Central State Ohio Hall of Fame in 1996. But the biggest accolade to date was most certainly in 2010, when she was elected as the best player on the 50th Anniversary of FIBA Africa. 

The honors still continue to flow and earlier this year, she was handed the African Woman Leadership Award. Next up is the FIBA Hall of Fame induction ceremony which will take place on November 30 in Mies, Switzerland.

Name Mame MATY MBENGUE
Category of Inductee Player (Center)
Date of birth April 13th 1968
Place of birth Dakar, Senegal
Nationality Senegalese
Height 1.87m - 6ft 2in
Clubs
  • Jeanne d'Arc (1984-1985, 1992-2001)
  • Central State University Ohio (1986-1991)
Club highlights
  • Senegalese League Champion (1989)
National Team highlights
  • Played in the FIBA Junior World Championship (1985)
  • Junior Women's AfroBasket gold medalist (1985)
  • Women's AfroBasket silver medalist (1994)
  • 'Jeux de la Francophonie' gold medalist (1997)
  • Two-time African Games gold medalist (1995, 1999)
  • Played in two FIBA Women's Basketball World Cups (1990, 1998)
  • Played at the Olympic Games (2000)
  • Five time Women's AfroBasket gold medalist (1984, 1990, 1993, 1997, 2001)
Individual highlights
  • Best Senegalese Basketball Player 'Lion d'Or' (1986)
  • Best Senegalese Sportswomen 'Lion d'Or' (1990)
  • University of Central State Hall of Fame (1996)
  • Four time FIBA Women's AfroBasket MVP (1993, 1997, 1999, 2000)
  • Elected best player on the 50th Anniversary of FIBA Africa (2010)
  • African Women Leadership Award (2022)


FIBA