AfroBasket 2025: South Sudan’s Women Eye Breakthrough

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(SEGOVIA) – The South Sudan women’s national basketball team is poised to make its historic debut at the 2025 FIBA Women’s AfroBasket, marking a major milestone in the country’s sporting journey. From refugee camps to continental courts, the Bright Starlets are forging a legacy through determination, unity and national pride.

The team earned a bronze medal at the 2024 FIBA Africa Zone 5 Championship, their first podium finish, sparking emotional celebrations and renewed commitment among the players. Tears of joy were shed, not only for the medal, but for what it represented i.e. a breakthrough moment for South Sudanese women in sport.

Team captain Adut Bulgak described the long path to AfroBasket as a “beautiful struggle”. The journey has been marked by setbacks, sacrifice and relentless effort.

“It wasn’t something handed to us. It was a grind,” she said at the team’s training camp in Segovia, Spain, ahead of the tournament in Abidjan, Côte d’Ivoire.

Teammate Nyamuoch Teny echoed those sentiments. “We’ve come so far. Just being here is something to be grateful for,” she said.

The story of South Sudan’s women’s team mirrors the men’s historic achievements, including qualification for the Paris 2024 Olympics. However, for the women, the struggle has often been more personal, more isolating. Many of the players were born or raised in refugee camps, including Bulgak, who was born in Kakuma, Kenya, and Teny, born in Dadaab.

For Bulgak, sport became a refuge after personal tragedy. She turned to basketball after injuries ended her volleyball career and following the deaths of two of her brothers. Her leadership today represents more than just skill on the court.

“I don’t play just for myself anymore. I’m representing everyone who came before and everyone coming after,” she said.

Teny’s experience also speaks to the broader impact of sport. Raised in Canada after her family fled conflict, she was often the only South Sudanese girl playing basketball. Now, she serves as a role model both on and off the court, including through youth engagement work in Ontario and Juba.

The sense of sisterhood within the team is tangible. Many players describe the group as a safe space where shared identity and collective experiences create powerful bonds. “Whatever challenges you’re facing, now you’re facing them with 12 other girls who understand what it means to be a South Sudanese woman,” Bulgak said.

Head coach Alberto Antuña, a Spaniard with experience in international basketball, spoke about the uniqueness of leading this squad. “It’s not just coaching a team. It’s about culture, identity, and pride. The players care deeply about representing their country. It’s amazing,” he said.

South Sudan’s Bright Starlets were granted a wild card to join AfroBasket 2025. They are placed in Group B alongside Mali and Cameroon, both strong teams. The tournament runs from 26 July to 3 August in Abidjan. Other participants include host Côte d’Ivoire, defending champions Nigeria, Senegal, Rwanda, Uganda, Angola, Egypt, and Mozambique.

The women’s game in South Sudan has made notable progress in the past four years despite structural challenges, limited local development, and lack of formal support systems. Many team members play college basketball overseas, often missing qualifying games due to academic schedules. Bulgak noted she has played with over 22 different teammates in recent years, highlighting the rotating nature of the squad.

Bulgak, 32, is the most experienced player on the team. In 2016, she became the first South Sudanese woman drafted into the WNBA, selected by the New York Liberty. She now plays professionally in Spain for Azulmarino Mallorca Palma. She is also a mother, and credits her family and teammates for helping raise her daughter Ajok, born in 2021.

“Being an athlete mum is difficult, but I had a huge village supporting me,” she said.

The players hope their presence at AfroBasket will inspire a new generation of South Sudanese girls to take up sport.

“There are so many young girls watching. I’m doing this for them,” said Teny. “We’re showing South Sudanese women on TV, in a powerful and honourable way.”