South Sudan Shock Senegal to Clinch AfroBasket Bronze

(ABIDJAN) – South Sudan’s national women’s basketball team, the Bright Starlets, made history on Sunday by claiming a bronze medal at the 2025 FIBA Women’s AfroBasket in Abidjan, Côte d’Ivoire, after a dramatic 66 to 65 victory over Senegal in the third place playoff.

The win capped a remarkable tournament debut for South Sudan, making them the first country in the history of the Women’s AfroBasket to win a medal in their maiden appearance. The Bright Starlets had already impressed by reaching the semi-finals, but their hard fought victory against one of Africa’s basketball giants added a historic bronze to their record.

South Sudan led by as much as 16 points earlier in the match, but saw their lead slip away in the final quarter as Senegal mounted a comeback. With just seconds left on the clock and the game tied, Nyamer Lual Diew stepped up and calmly scored the winning free throw with six seconds remaining, handing her country a milestone victory.

The result sparked celebrations among South Sudanese fans both at home and abroad. It marks a major breakthrough for the country’s women’s sports movement and highlights the rapid rise of basketball in South Sudan, a nation still in its early years of international competition.

Delicia Washington was named among the tournament’s All Star Five, recognising her outstanding performance throughout the competition and underlining South Sudan’s arrival on the continental stage. Washington was joined in the All Star team by Nigeria’s Amy Okonkwo (also named Most Valuable Player), Senegal’s Cierra Dillard, Uganda’s Jane Asinde and Mali’s Sika Koné.

Nigeria went on to win the final against Mali, claiming their fifth consecutive title with a 78 to 64 win. However, much of the spotlight remained on South Sudan’s bronze medal achievement, which has captured continental attention.

All four semifinalists South Sudan, Nigeria, Mali and Senegal qualified for the 2026 FIBA Women’s World Cup Qualifying Tournaments.

The final standings of the 2025 FIBA Women’s AfroBasket: