C is magic letter at Women's #FIBAU16Africa

KIGALI (Rwanda) - Confident, creative and courageous are what can come close to describing this quartet of young teenage girls that have sparked excitement at the ongoing FIBA U16 Women's African Championship in the Rwandan capital.

They are fearless in the face of opposition and have since the competition started showed consistency and absolute class on court to further affirm that they were born for this stage. 

A very close look at their individual brilliance within their contribution to their teams is what has set them apart from the rest of the pack. The reason is simple - numbers do not lie. 

Sara Caetano (Angola) 

An impressive total of 90 points in three games with an average of 30 points, 15 rebounds and 2.7 assists per game has highlighted Angolan captain Sara Caetano as an early candidate for the Most Valuable Player award at this tournament. 

Her decision making is admirable and with this comes her ability to lead from the front as a point guard and captain who keeps an eye on every detail on court. This has set her apart from the rest and it is easily visible to note her brilliance. 

She is currently leading the statistics board with the most points scored so far and has emerged as the highest points scorer in every game that Angola has played. 

Caetano netted an incredible 33 points against hosts Rwanda, 30 points when they faced Mozambique in the Lusophone derby and 27 points when they were up against Tanzania. 

 Caetano is a beauty to watch

Mariam Coulibaly (Mali) 

Her game face when walking onto the court simply tells the story of an ambitious, strong-willed and determined young girl looking to make her nation proud. 

Coulibaly defends with her heart on her sleeve and scores with ease behind the arc but also makes her teammates look good on both ends of the court. She is a fan favourite and she knows it. She nods in their direction and waves at the end of every game. 

An average of 23 points, 3.5 rebounds and 2 assists per game has earned her this respect. 

 Catherine Mollel (Tanzania) 

You have to watch her to see her work rate but most importantly the confidence she has built within her teammates and how much they look up to her. 

Mollel is at the centre of Tanzania's impressive debut at this tournament and is their best player so far averaging 14.3 rebounds, 12.7 points and 1.7 assists. 

Vanessa Chivale (Mozambique) 

A natural fighter, Chivale hates losing. She gives everything in a game. She pushes her body to limits while also encouraging her teammates not to give up. This was visibly seen in their Quarter-Final tie against Uganda where she inspired them to overturn a 12 point deficit. 

An average of 11 rebounds, 10.7 points and 3.7 assists, Chivale has affirmed her place as a core member of Mozambique's quest for their first ever African title at this level. 

A few years down the road, Caetano, Coulibaly, Catherine and Chivale will look back at this tournament with pride that they brought honour to their countries at the first time of donning the national colours. 

Like hundreds of girls before them, this could be the foundation of a long and successful basketball career and more national team call-ups all the way up to the senior team. 

 FIBA