Who is Valeriane Ayayi? Meet France SF ahead of Olympics women's basketball gold medal showdown against USA
Led by grit, determination and some big shots from Valeriane Ayayi, France's women's basketball team finds themselves in their second Olympics final in 12 years. The French star will look to continue her fine form on Sunday when France takes on the United States for the gold medal.
The Bordeaux-born star comes from a family of basketball players. Her brother, Joël, attended Gonzaga University in Washington and featured on the Los Angeles Lakers Summer League side in 2021. Another one of her brothers, Gérald, has featured in the lower leagues of the French league.
After strong performances in Europe as a youth, Valeriane Ayayi was scouted by the WNBA and earned a contract with the San Antonio Stars in 2015. She featured in 16 games, averaging 2.3 points, 1.8 rebounds and 0.5 assists before deciding to return to Europe.
Ayayi currently plays for USK Praha in Czechia.
Valeriane Ayayi has plenty of experience representing France at the international level. The 30-year-old has appeared for her nation at the EuroBasket Women's tournament on five occasions between 2013 and 2023. Ayayi was also a member of the 2021 side that won the bronze medal at the Tokyo Olympics.
Valeriane Ayayi has been key to France's run at the 2024 Paris Olympics.
While players like Gabby Williams and Marième Badiane may receive most of the plaudits at the Paris Olympics, Ayayi has quietly gone about her business.
At 6-foot-1, Ayayi can play a range of positions. Throughout the 2024 Paris Olympics, she has proven that she can shoot, drive and pass the ball. On the defensive front, her exceptional rebounding ability makes France one of the stronger defensive teams in the tournament. She has also been a key contributor in the steals and blocks column.
Valeriane Ayayi had a relatively slow start to the tournament, accumulating 23 points, eight rebounds, four assists and two blocks in the group stage.
Coming into the quarterfinals against Germany, coach Jean-Aime Toupane opted to stick with the veteran forward and that decision paid off. Ayayi finished with nine points, five rebounds, four assists and two steals to guide her country to an 84-71 win.
Ayayi was instrumental in France's semifinal victory over Belgium. The French struggled on the offensive side, shooting just 29.9 percent from the field and 22.6 percent from behind the arc.
They trailed Belgium for large portions of the game. A heroic performance from Ayayi was key to ensuring a late win. She finished with 17 points (4-8 FG), five rebounds, four assits and two steals.
Overall, Ayayi is averaging 9.8 points, 3.6 rebounds, 2.4 assists and 1.2 steals per game over five games at the 2024 Paris Olympics.