MIES (Switzerland) - A continent packed with talent, we put the spotlight on African ballers to see who's stock is sky high, who you should put your faith in and who should maybe take a chance on.

If you consider this talent as a precious commodity, we picked 12 African stars who might provoke a different response on a player stock market.  

The list below follows on from our previous European player stock market HERE and the Asian player stock market HERE.

BUY NOW!

Sika Kone - Mali

No other African player is lighting it up as much right now. It's been a scorching 12 months, having engaged beast mode at the FIBA U19 Women's Basketball World Cup when Mali booked a historic Semi-Finals slot thanks to her epic performances. Also impressive at the FIBA Women's AfroBasket 2021, she hit an even higher gear at the FIBA Women's Basketball World Cup Qualifying Tournament in Serbia with  a competition double-double of more than 16 points and 10 rebounds per game. Subsequently WNBA drafted , there's even more to come from the rising star, with EuroLeague Women clubs no doubt pushing for her services too. It's just a pity we won't get to see her impressive evolution in Sydney later this year.

Victoria Macaulay - Nigeria

Missing some headline performers for the Qualifying Tournament in Belgrade earlier this year, Macaualy was one of the senior players who needed to rise up and she did in real style. She made the All-Star Five, helping Nigeria safely secure their ticket to the FIBA Women's Basketball World Cup in Sydney and claiming the historic scalp of France along the way. She brought the energy, the power and her 19 points in that landmark success against France was unforgettable for the D'Tigress. 

Yacine Diop - Senegal

The heartbeat of Senegal, there's no removing the label that has Diop as the leader of her country and even if they missed the podium at the FIBA Women's AfroBasket last year, she did everything she could to avoid leaving empty-handed. That was underlined by her inclusion in the All-Star Five at the event, having harvested a near 14 points and 6 rebounds per game. Energetic, strong, a real leader and bonafide star of African basketball, there's nothing better than seeing Diop shine and flying the flag for her Continent. 

Nadine Soliman Mohamed - Egypt

The walking bucket that is Soliman Mohamed (aka Selaawi) will never forget 2021, since she took the honor of being the leading scorer at the FIBA Women's AfroBasket. The Egyptian standout showed her full range of abilities, whether shooting from distance or pulling the 1v1 moves that get her to the hoop. Her entertaining style has also seen her make a splash in 3x3 as well and with big potential for the women;s game to grow in Egypt, having poster players with her skills and fearless outlook is precious!

HOLD ONTO YOUR STOCKS

Ezinne Kalu - Nigeria

Despite missing the FIBA Women's Basketball World Cup Qualifying Tournament in Belgrade because of  injury, you have to keep stocks in the playmaker and expect her to be back in a big way for Sydney. For this past four year cycle she has emerged as the baller that truly makes Nigeria tick, stemming from her good performances at the last edition of the Worlds in Tenerife, helping her team collect consecutive FIBA Women's AfroBasket titles and getting to Tokyo 2020. A quality and proven player, keep the faith with her!

Soraya Mohamed Degheidy - Egypt

What an entertaining baller she is and that means you need to hang on to the stocks because nobody should want to let go of them. The Egyptian ace can score and create in equal measure, normally with real flair and skill - from deep triples, to eye-catching assists. Even if Egypt were craving a podium place at the FIBA Women's AfroBasket and came up short in the Quarter-Finals despite her 15.7 points per game, with players like Degheidy still in the mix to lead some of their rising stars, it looks like their time will come. Adaora Elonu - Nigeria

Death, taxes and Elonu being a rock for any team she plays on. Yes, as close to a basketball guarantee as you can get, the Nigeria captain is so, so important on and off the court for her country. Sometimes she shines brightly like when she was crowned MVP as her nation retained their FIBA Women's AfroBasket crown last year. Meanwhile on other ocassions, her leadership is top of the list as she sits back with an efficient showing - much like what happened at the FIBA Women's Basketball World Cup Qualifying Tournament. Add on top her EuroLeague Women experience, sky high smarts and maturity and you don't want to part with any of these stocks!

Mariam Coulibaly - Mali

An absolute powerhouse, Coulibaly was instrumental in taking Mali to a silver medal last year at the FIBA Women's AfroBasket, with her contribution of a near tournament double-double of 11.6 points and 9.0 rebounds banking her a place in the All-Star Five. Regrettably for Mali, her absence at the FIBA Women's Basketball World Cup Qualifying Tournament was a bitter blow. At club level, she continues to make a spalsh in Liga Femenina in Spain, recently taking the weekly MVP accolade to remind everyone of her skills.

TAKE A CHANCE ON

Amy Okonkwo - Nigeria

Nigeria head coach Otis Hughley was gushing in his praise for Okonkoin the wake of his team's exploits in Belgrade and that is hardly surprising since the forward stepped up big time at the event. Having played around 10 minutes per game at Tokyo 2020, she followed up some great work at the FIBA Women's AfroBasket where she showed promise that she can become a leading baller for Nigeria. Helping her team punch their ticket for Sydney, the TCU alumni top scored with more than 12 points per game. But can she continue this impressive momentum heading to the FIBA Women's Basketball World Cup? 

Marina Paule Owodo - Cameroon

Hailing from a basketball family, with her father playing in the NCAA, Marina Paule followed in his footsteps and having finished her basketball education Stateside, she is now making an impression on the international stage. She was one of the driving forces last year for host nation Cameroon as they took the last podium step at the FIBA Women's AfroBasket. A big favorite with the locals, Ewodo claimed a spot in the All-Star Five. She has been playing with Saint-Amand in France for a second season and while injury disrupted her progress for a while, the forward looks ready to shift up a gear - buoyed by her success at national team level.

Avelina Peso - Angola

It could be worth taking a gamble on the emerging star of Angolan basketball as Peso is now turning heads more than ever with her aggressive and intense style at both ends of the court. The Primeiro de Agosto forward is physically gifted, all-action and she is one of the best reasons to believe Angola can one day recapture the glory days again. Behind her team's leading lights such as Italee Lucas and Nadir Manuel, the 23-year-old center is moving up the hierarchy within the team and is one to watch in these next years.

Tamara Seda - Mozambique

The leading rebounder at the FIBA Women's AfroBasket with 52 boards, the powerful center showed all the physical attributes that allow her to be such a potent force for Mozambique in the paint. She is also now flying the flag for her country at club level, having posted a second productive season in Spain with Araski. She's very much the kind of role model young ballers in Mozambique need to look up to and she looks like she is growing in confidence and even if 27-years-old, there is bags of space to improve even more.

Disclaimer: The player stock market are entirely subjective and is in no way a true, accurate ranking systems. All comments are purely those of the expert.

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