The East Africans had a good run in the last edition in which they caused a stir despite qualifying as a wildcard two years ago, stunning record champions Senegal with a slim win. Qualifying for a back to back Women’s Afrobasket could mean a positive spell for the Uganda Gazelles and they won’t just be looking to make up the numbers in Abidjan.
Last Updated on
July 19, 2025
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This year’s 12-nation Championship will see Uganda bringing in their good form from earlier in the year after they finished top of qualifying as the top team from the Zone Five Qualifiers with the Nicholas Natuhereza-led side hoping to build on that momentum. They will also be looking to improve upon their seventh-place finish in Kigali back in 2023 after losing out in the quarter finals to neighbours Rwanda.
They usually play with a lot of grit, full of confidence and can be very physical and will be looking to repeat the same feat against powerhouse Senegal when they dominated the boards with 59 rebounds, 19 more than their opponents inside the Kigali Arena in an 85-83 win, a victory that secured that spot in the round of 16 with Jannon Otto and Jane Asinde both registering 21 and 20 points respectively in the game.
The East African side will be looking to climb their way up the basketball charts in Abidjan but have to negotiate their way past familiar foes Senegal and Guinea in Group C.
Their biggest asset is their current captain and the Most Valuable Player, Jane Asinde who led the team to a good showing in Cairo during the qualifiers where she averaged 18.8 points, 10 rebounds, and 4.8 assists across five games. Her 19 points and 12 rebounds, a double-double feat, was enough in the final qualifying game against Egypt and she was named the MVP and the competition's best power forward.
Asides Asinde, the Gazelles will be counting on Robinson to provide the much-needed drive for the team in their bid to register at least their presence in the semifinals with the latter looking forward to making her debut in the competition.
Jannon Otto who was their top scorer in 2023 will be missing in action when the competition tips off on July 26 at the Palais des Sports,Treichville in Abidjan but will be banking on the experiences of center player Claire Lamunu, power forward Hope Akello, Melissa Akullu, and shooting guard Jamila Nansikombi.
In their previous appearances at the Women’s Afrobasket, Uganda had placed 10th in 2015 and 9th in its debut back in 1997, their 7th-placed finish in 2023 was their best yet but the big question is can they keep climbing up the basketball charts in Abidjan?
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