Lucas, Holmes, Denson and Williams, new big names in Africa women's basketball

SHEFFIELD (Julio Chitunda's African Message) - Lucas, Holmes and Williams may not sound like traditional African names, but they are the ones currently making waves in African women's basketball.

The 2014 African Champions for Women (ACCW) concluded over the weekend in Sfax, Tunisia, and players like USA-born Italee Lucas, Sequoia Holmes, Brittany Denson and Latia Williams played a big role in the outcome of the tournament.  

In basketball jargon, players like them are called 'imports', and they usually come all way from the other side of the Atlantic to play professional basketball in Europe, Asia, South America and Australasia.

In recent years, Africa started to become an interesting destination for female import-basketball players.

Some of these players end up playing for clubs they've probably never heard of, and I don't blame them for it because African basketball needs significantly more exposure than it currently has.

Wealthy African clubs like Angola's D'Agosto and InterClube, who can afford salaries relatively similar to what some European teams pay, risk becoming eternal favourites and ruling the club game on the African continent.

These teams tend to attract players with admirable history such as Lucas, a former University of North Carolina standout, who was selected with the 21st pick by the Tulsa Shock in the 2011 WNBA Draft, now playing for InterClube, where she teams up with former Chicago Sky forward Sequoia Holmes.

However, some of these players are not only getting paid to play the game on the continent. They are also eager to take basketball to the next level, to inspire, encourage and change the way basketball is played in Africa.

Foreign players have specifications in their contracts. Some are signed for the duration of the ACCW while others have called Africa their new home.

InterClube de Luanda - who blended Lucas, Holmes with Angolan internationals Ngiendula Felipe, Angelina Golome and Nadir Manuel - clinched its fourth ACCW title in five years on Sunday to become the most successful professional women's basketball team in Africa.

Denson was crucial for hosts Club Sportif Sfaxien (CSS).

She averaged team-highs of 12.8 points and 10 rebounds per game, leading the team to a third-place finish. It marked the first time a Tunisian club stepped on the ACCW podium in nearly two decades, since Stade Tunisien won the 1995 edition of the tournament.

Although Williams was left frustrated following D'Agosto 75-74 defeat to InterClube in the Final, she is now in her second full season with the Luanda-based club. And she might stay there longer than most foreign players have in recent years because of her tenacity and work ethic.

The benefits of import-players are obvious, but when I see players like Luisa Tomas, Sonia Guadalupe and Nacissela Mauricio having such poor ACCW showings, I can't resist wondering if local players are being left behind.

Lucas, Holmes and Denson headlined the All-Tournament Team which was rounded out by Leia Dongue and Ana Goncalves, the only two African-born players who were just as good as their USA counterparts. 

D'Agosto finished 5-1, and Williams, alongside Mozambique's Dongue, sparked the Angolans throughout the tournament.

The 2014 ACCW was missing some African big names like Deolinda Ngulela, Anabela Cossa and Gano Njiogap whose clubs (Ferroviario de Maputo and INJS of Cameroon) either failed to qualify, or, pulled out for administrative reasons.

However, we gained respect and hope that Lucas, Denson, Williams and Holmes keep bringing quality to Africa basketball courts.

I saw Lucas moving and handle the ball so well and it made me wonder: what if players of her caliber accepted to represent some African national teams on the world stage? 

Perhaps, it should be an immediate gain, but as Denson, Lucas, Williams and Holmes are still plying their trade in Africa, local clubs should instil those players' discipline and work ethic to future generations.

Julio Chitunda

FIBA

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