by Silalei Shani, bird story agency
Here’s your roundup of African basketball news from commentator, analyst and former Kenya women’s basketball team captain, Silalei Shani.Spanish basketball giants Real Madrid have signed Angolan centre Bruno Fernando on a one-year deal to add volume to their interior rotation, hoping to break what has been one of the club’s worst seasons in recent memory. The team currently sits in eighth place and have lost six of their last ten away games.
At 26 years old, Fernando has most recently plied his trade with the NBA’s Toronto Raptors. The Canadian side had also struggled this past season, with a 11-36 record. Fernando appeared in just 17 of the team’s 23 games, with the forward/ center averaging 8.6 minutes, 3.4 points and 3.0 rebounds and shooting 53.1% from the field.
This will be Fernando’s first professional basketball experience away from the United States. He played in college basketball in Florida and then Maryland before being drafted to the NBA by the Philadephia 76ers in 2019. He was subsequently traded to the Atlanta Hawks.
Fernando’s move sees him join a star-studded team featuring fellow African basketball icons Walter Tavares of Cape Verde, Serge Ibaka from the Republic of the Congo, Senegalese talent Eli Ndiaye, and Spanish-born Nigerian forward Usman Garuba. The move is a golden opportunity for Fernando to give new strength to his career while competing at an elite level.
Uganda’s Gazelles qualify for FIBA Women’s Afrobasket 2025
In East African news, Uganda Women’s National Basketball team, the Gazelles, in an unprecendented series of events decisively beat qualifier hosts and defending zone champions, Egypt, 74-63 earlier this month at the Hassan Moustafa Sports Hall. In doing so, the Gazelles booked their ticket to the FIBA Women’s Afrobasket tournament, set to take place in Abidjan later this year.
After a close opening quarter, Uganda went on a 21-11 run in the second, restriciting the hosts to five points. In the second half Gazelles kept their momentum for a 21-16 third quarter before Egypt lead in scoring in the 4th. It wasn’t enough for the north Africans to make a comeback, however. Stand-out player, Jane Asinde, finished with a double-double of 19 points and 12 rebounds and wound up her outing by being named the competition’s Most Valuable Player (MVP).
“I can’t explain the joy of being the captain and leading this team into victory.” Jane said after the Gazelles victory. “ I am overwhelmed and grateful for the work we have to put in. I am grateful that we lost in the group phase match as we were able to correct our mistakes and come back ready to win it all.”
Nigerian-American Chiney Ogwumike named the BAL’s first female ambassador
This year’s NBA All-Star luncheon during the NBA All-Star Weekend was the venue of choice for the announcement of the Basketball Africa League’s (BAL) newest ambassador. Nigerian American basketball star, two-time WNBA All-Star, Chiney Ogwumike becomes the first-ever female BAL ambassador and in her new role will focus on intiatives that enage and uplift women and girls across Africa while mentoring the next generation of female athletes.
Ogwumike’s journey with NBA Africa began when she was selcted as the number one overall pick in the 2014 WNBA Draft by the Connecticut Sun. Since then she has forged deep connections with various African countries including Nigeria, Kenya, Rwanda and South Africa and is aware of the transofrmative power of sports.
“I’m very passionate about providing opportunities in basketball specifically for young women and girls so they can have the same chances to succeed in life.”
Owgwumike’s involvement in President Biden’s inaugural Council on African Diaspora Engagement has deepend her understanding of the unique role the diaspora plays in shaping global opportunities. She will begin her duties with the Kalahari Conference on Saturday, April 5, 2025 at the Prince Moulay Abdellah Sports Complex in Rabat, Morocco.
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