FREETOWN, SIERRA LEONE: Thought you’d be interested to know that seven players from Africa (Sierra Leone included) have been selected to participate in the 2024 NBA Academy Women’s Virtual Program, which tipped off on Sunday, Jan. 7, and concludes at the end of this week. The young women are among the more than 50 top high-school-age (14-16 years old) female prospects from 31 countries and territories outside the U.S. who will take part in the eight-week basketball and leadership development program.

Participants connected with their peers from around the world and engaged in basketball and life skills development programming under the guidance of current and former WNBA players and NBA Academy staff. The NBA Academy Women’s Virtual Program featured holistic skill development programming that includes basketball lessons, instructions, and challenges centered around ball-handling, passing, footwork, and rebounding.  Additionally, the prospects attended life skills and leadership development sessions focusing on nutrition, goal setting, personal branding, mental wellness, player pathway education, and women’s empowerment. 
  
Africa Participants:

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DAKAR, SENEGAL: BAL’s Expanded Fourth Season Will Feature Record 48 Games in Pretoria; Cairo, Egypt; Dakar, Senegal and Kigali, Rwanda; Fans Can Visit BAL.NBA.com to Register Their Interest in Tickets; 30 Aspiring Players from Africa, Europe, the U.S. and Around the World to Attend BAL Combine in Rabat, Morocco Jan. 5-7.

The Basketball Africa League (BAL) today announced that the league’s expanded fourth season will tip off on Saturday, March 9, 2024, at the SunBet Arena in Pretoria, South Africa. The 2024 BAL season will feature the top 12 club teams from 12 African countries playing a record 48 games in Pretoria; Cairo, Egypt; Dakar, Senegal; and Kigali, Rwanda over four months, marking the first BAL games in South Africa and the first time the league will play games in four different countries. Fans can register their interest in tickets to games in all four markets at BAL.NBA.com.

During the 2024 BAL season, the 12 teams will be divided into three conferences of four teams each. Each conference will play a 12-game group phase during which each team will face the other three teams in its conference twice. The inaugural Kalahari Conference group phase will take from Saturday, March 9 – Sunday, March 17 at the SunBet Arena. The Nile Conference group phase will take place from Friday, April 19 – Saturday, April 27 at Hassan Mostafa Indoor Sports Complex in Cairo. The Sahara Conference group phase will take place from Saturday, May 4 – Sunday, May 12 at the Dakar Arena in Dakar. The top two teams from each conference and the top two third-place teams from across the three conferences will travel to Kigali for four seeding games followed by an eight-game, single-elimination Playoffs, and Finals from Friday, May 24 – Saturday, June 1.

The BAL also today announced that the league will host a Combine in Rabat, Morocco from Friday, Jan. 5 – to Sunday, Jan. 7, marking the league’s first Combine in Africa after previous editions in New York City and Paris. The three-day scouting event, which will be held at the Ibn Yassine Omnisports Hall, will feature 30 aspiring players from Africa, Europe, the U.S., and around the world taking part in anthropometric and athletic testing, positional skill development, and 5-on-5 games in front of team executives, coaches, and scouts. Former NBA player Robert Pack will serve as Combine Camp Director.

“We are thrilled to play the first BAL games in Pretoria, South Africa, and to return to Dakar, Cairo, and Kigali, where we’ve seen tremendous fan engagement over the past three seasons,” said Fall. “As we get ready for the 2024 BAL season, we remain committed to continuing to improve the quality of our on-court product, and this Combine in Rabat will once again showcase top-flight players, including from across the African Diaspora, who can contribute significantly to BAL teams and further establish the BAL as a world-class professional basketball league.”

On Jan. 5 as part of the Combine, the BAL will host a U-23 “BAL4HER” identification camp that will bring together 20 female players and four female coaches from across Morocco to participate in on-court basketball development programming. The camp is part of a series to identify 20 of the top female players from across Africa who will participate in a five-day camp in Kigali in conjunction with the 2024 BAL Playoffs and Finals. The league will also host a coaching clinic for 200 local coaches. BAL President Amadou Gallo Fall, FIBA Africa, BAL Board President Anibal Manave, and 2011 NBA champion and BAL Ambassador Ian Mahinmi will attend the Combine and interact with all of the participants.

During his 13-year NBA career, Pack played for the Portland Trail Blazers, Denver Nuggets, Washington Bullets, New Jersey Nets, Dallas Mav­ericks, Minnesota Timberwolves, and New Orleans Hornets. He previously served as head coach of Rwanda Energy Group (REG) in the BAL and as an assistant coach for the LA Clippers, Oklahoma City Thunder, New Orleans Pelicans, and Washington Wizards in the NBA.

Rwanda Development Board, NIKE, Jordan Brand, and Wilson will return as BAL Foundational Partners. The league’s roster of world-class marketing partners also includes Afreximbank, Hennessy, and RwandAir.

The 12 BAL teams, conferences, game schedule, and additional information about the 2024 BAL season will be announced in the coming months.

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