ABIDJAN (Cote d’Ivoire) - Before you cast your vote, take a look at how some of the top players helped their teams in the early Group A, B, and C games.
Eveline Toyounon - CAMEROON
If Cameroon's coaching staff wanted to make an early statement, Eveline Toyounon delivered in emphatic fashion.
The Central Africans dismantled Senegal 61-30, and Toyounon was the driving force behind the demolition from start to finish.
Her final stats: 24 points, 15 rebounds, and 5 blocks.
The numbers alone don't quite capture it, as Toyounon was a clear mismatch all afternoon. She punished Senegal on the glass at both ends while altering shots at the rim well enough to finish with a tournament-best 26.0 efficiency rating on opening day.
Maimouna Traore - MALI
Mali obliterated Benin 124-20, and their offense was balanced rather than a one-woman show.
Traoré was the standout performer in the game, finishing as the efficiency leader with a rating of 28.
She also topped Mali's assist charts, dishing out 14 assists in the win. This means she set up a basket roughly every couple of minutes she was on the floor, running Mali's offense at a blistering pace against the overmatched Benin team.
Hania Hassabelnaby - EGYPT
In the Group B game, Egypt defeated Morocco 89-36 and Hania Hassabelnaby led all scorers with 24 points.
Egypt's coach spread the minutes around, partly to manage injury risk, and the team still cruised to victory.
Hassabelnaby has been called a small forward "who can do it all."
Her 24 points against Morocco are consistent with her recent performance. She has been Egypt's most consistent scorer across multiple youth qualifiers this year.
Melissa Taliba – Uganda
Taliba stole the show, posting a game-high 33 in the efficiency category — a dominant performance that set the tone and helped Uganda control the game from the opening quarter (20-13) onward.
Her 25 points and 15 rebounds spoke for themselves.
Marlyne Adahe - Côte d'Ivoire
The 17-year-old Marlyne Esther Adahe delivered a statement performance as Côte d'Ivoire's Éléphantes demolished the Central African Republic 102-13 in their Group A opener of the 2026 FIBA U18 Women's AfroBasket.
Adahe poured in a team-leading 20 points on efficient 6-of-10 shooting, including 2-of-4 from beyond the arc. She was nearly automatic at the free-throw line too, converting 6 of 8 attempts.
Her ability to turn Central African Republic's possessions into fast-break opportunities helped fuel the lopsided scoreline. She finished with a game efficiency rating of 29 and a staggering +65 plus/minus in just 23 minutes on the floor.
Other star players in the early games of the 2026 U18 Women's AfroBasket included Assan Mariko (Mali) and Nigeria's Favour Anari.
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