Kayana Traylor turned Cairo’s Prince Abdallah Al Faisal Sports Hall into her personal stage, erupting for 34 points as REG dismantled FBA with pace, discipline and a night of shot-making that felt unstoppable.
Last Updated on
December 9, 2025
On a night where momentum never felt guaranteed, and rhythm came in waves, Kayana Traylor refused to blink. The REG guard delivered one of the standout performances of the Women’s Basketball League Africa season so far, dropping 34 points with a calmness that made the Prince Abdallah Al Faisal Sports Hall feel like her own private stage. Every big moment seemed to revolve around her.
And with Traylor firing on all cylinders, REG brushed aside the stubborn resistance of Côte d’Ivoire’s FBA for an 81-53 win that gradually transformed from tense to dominant.
The first quarter gave no hint of what was coming. REG led only 15–13, forced to grind out every basket against a compact, organised FBA defence. But then came that second quarter, the kind coaches remember fondly, and players dream of reproducing, a 24–12 run powered largely by Traylor’s shooting and REG’s insistence on pushing the pace at every opportunity. By halftime, the gap had widened decisively, and the Rwandan side had wrestled control not just of the scoreboard, but of the game’s emotional temperature.
While Traylor’s efficiency stole the spotlight, she wasn’t carrying REG alone. Kristina King was a model of consistency, adding 17 points and picking apart FBA’s interior defence with a blend of footwork, timing, and pure relentlessness on the glass. She finished with a game-high 19 rebounds, a number that felt even heavier given how many came in important moments when FBA threatened to claw back. Promise Amukamara, still settling into her tournament rhythm, chipped in 10 points and brought organisation and calm to REG’s backcourt.
After the game, Amukamara didn’t mince words about what made the difference.
“I think we did a great job taking care of the ball and then also Kayana did an amazing job. She carried us on her back today with her three points, but yeah, we just did a great job taking care of the ball and then turning them over which allowed more possessions for us.”
REG’s discipline was indeed remarkable. They forced 25 points off turnovers, more than double their opponents’ tally, and used that momentum to fuel a transition attack that produced 22 fast-break points. Every defensive stop seemed to spring them forward like a coiled spring finally released.
Amukamara herself has been playing catch-up since touching down in Cairo.
“My first game, I arrived at three in the morning and had to play that day, so I was jet lagged. My body was tired, very lethargic, but I'm a professional, so I get myself ready for the game mentally and physically.”
If she felt out of sync earlier in the week, she didn’t look it anymore. Her court awareness — shaped by years of AfroBasket battles — showed in every read and every duel.
“I think it's like the AfroBasket. There's a lot of girls from AfroBasket, so I'm able to know a lot of their tendencies and stuff like that. If you're coming from America and you have never played AfroBasket and you go against the physicality and the fast pace, you're going to be lost. So I feel like, since I already know, I'm aware of how they play and stuff like that, it gives me kind of advantage, and I know what I'm getting myself into.”
The respect she commands in African basketball circles also matters to her, especially when younger players look her way for guidance.
“I think it's an honour for me and Ezinne Kalu to be players that they look up to. I know that we're always trying to be in touch with the youth and the younger girls coming up, because we're not going to play for long, and so they're up next. For her to say that about us, I'm just really grateful and thankful that we could be that image for her and representation for her.”
As REG soared, FBA couldn’t keep up, not for lack of trying, but for lack of stability. Only two players hit double digits: Zykera Elaine Rice (20 points) and Djeneba Sangaré (10). Rice, in particular, battled fiercely, attacking REG’s defence every chance she got. But too often, FBA’s offence veered between inspired and chaotic.
After the game, Rice summed it up with disarming honesty.
“When things were good, they were great. But when they were bad, it was ugly. We couldn't seem to find a steady ground. We were either really high or really low. So I think that was a good indicator of how the game went. In the lows, they got up by quite a few points and it was really hard to claw back.”
She added that FBA’s spark in the third quarter — which they won 21–17 — came from simply recognizing who had the hot hand.
“I think we had just done a really good job of running our plays and hitting the people that were open. And then doing a good job of getting the ball back to those people when they've scored a couple of times. We don't always make the best offensive decisions when it comes to passing the ball.”
“So I think that was the biggest thing for the third quarter was we paid attention to who was hot and that's who we gave the ball.”
But when the fourth quarter arrived, REG slammed the door shut. A 25–7 period, driven by Traylor’s unrelenting scoring, turned the game into a rout. FBA’s offence unravelled, and REG’s confidence flourished with each passing minute.
In the end, Traylor’s 34 points weren’t just a statistical achievement, they were the heartbeat of REG’s identity in this matchup.
[Photography Courtesy of FIBA]
