There is something about Astou Traore

SHEFFIELD (Julio Chitunda's African Message) - The basketball career of Astou Traore is one of those intriguing stories in sports history that raise more questions than answers, especially as she enjoys a successful club career, but something is clearly missing in her national team career.

On Saturday, Traore and her Hainaut club caused the biggest shock of the round in France's Ligue Feminine de Basket (LFB).

Traore hit a three-pointer with a second remaining to help Hainaut Basket upset Lyon 81-79.

In the away fixture, the Senegal international led all players in scoring with 35 points - the most points scored in a game by any LFB player so far this season.

Traore hit all four of her three-pointers attempts, and shot a staggering 75 percent from the field (15 of 20).

Saturday's contest saw the 32-year-old go up against her fellow countrywoman Mame Marie Sy who had 11 points and 13 boards for Lyon. But Sy paid the price of missing a free-throw before Traore inflicted the final blow with a buzzer-beating shot.

Traore has built her reputation as a deadly scorer over the past decade in Spain and France's leagues, where she has spent most her professional career. Not surprisingly she currently leads the LFB in scoring with 18.3 points per game.

But what makes her international career incomplete - despite being rated as one of the finest African players of the past decade - is the missing continental gold medal around her neck.

In September, minutes after Senegal held off Mali 67-44 in the Quarter-Finals of AfroBasket Women 2013, I asked Traore to explain the significance of her 22 points for the victory and asked to comment on the possibility of playing her third consecutive FIBA World Championship for Women.

Traore grinned and reminded me that her biggest basketball ambition was to winn an African title and that was only two games away from happening.

"All I care for now is to win the African Championship trophy. Then we can talk about the World Championship for Women," she told me at the time.

But Senegal went on to lose to Angola in the Semis. It was the second consecutive time the Senegalese lost to the Angolans in the tournament's history, following a 62-54 loss in the final of the 2011 edition in Bamako, Mali.

In Maputo, Traore played the best she could, including leading Senegal in scoring with 16.6 points per game. In the end, they claimed a bronze medal thanks to Marie Sy's buzzer-beating three-pointer for a 56-53 win that ended Cameroon's chances of stepping on the podium for the first time.

Traore was also named to the All-Tournament Team alongside Mozambique's pair of Leia Dongue and Deolinda Ngulela, Cameroonian Ramses Lonlack and Angolan Nacissela Mauricio.

The 1.82m forward has collected enough silver medals - three in total: 2005, 2007 and 2011 - with Senegal at AfroBasket Women tournaments over the years, but realistically what Traore should prove is that it is possible to conciliate club success with national team success.

Senegal are Africa's most successful women's national team with 10 titles, but when they last won the continental championship in 2009, Traore missed out the tournament.

By the sound of Traore's determination, I can't see her retiring from the national team without an African title, although the circumstances seem to be playing against Senegal who are in a tie for second place among Africa teams in the FIBA Women Ranking.

Julio Chitunda

FIBA

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