DAKAR (Senegal) - Cheikh Sarr has been named head coach of Senegal for the 2026 FIBA Women's Basketball World Cup Qualifying Tournament, the country's Basketball Federation announced on Wednesday.
Coach Sarr replaces American Otis Hughley Jr., who led Senegal in the 2026 FIBA Women's Basketball World Cup Pre-Qualifying Tournament in Rwanda in August 2024, and helped the West African country reach fourth place in the 2025 Women's AfroBasket.
Prior to concluding his four-year tenure as head coach of Rwanda's senior national teams (men and women) in August last year, Coach Sarr had led his native Senegal at the 2014 FIBA Basketball World Cup. Four years later, he led Senegal at the 2018 Women's Basketball World Cup, where they finished with a 1–2 record, which included a 70–69 win over Latvia.
Coach Sarr is returning to lead the Senegalese team for the first time since he led the country to second place in the 2019 Women's AfroBasket, which was held in Senegal.
In a statement, the Senegalese Basketball Federation noted: "Cheikh Sarr is an experienced coach and an expert in African basketball. He brings with him an ambitious vision, a renowned work ethic and a strong performance culture. His mission will be to maintain the development momentum of women's basketball in the country, strengthen the team's competitiveness, and represent the nation proudly on the continental and international stage."
Senegal have been drawn in Group A of the 2026 Women's Basketball World Cup Qualifying Tournament, which takes place from 11–17 March. They will compete against hosts Puerto Rico, reigning world champions USA, Spain, New Zealand and Italy.
Senegal are chasing their first World Cup appearance since 2018.
FIBA