Who is Marine Johannes? Meet France SG ahead of Olympics women's basketball gold medal showdown against USA

By Mathews Kannanthara

Modified Aug 10, 2024 13:41 GMT

Marine Johannes is a French basketball sensation who has been an invaluable asset for France's campaign in the women's basketball event of the 2024 Paris Olympics. The 5-foot-10 shooting guard is revered for her flashy play-making and scoring ability, which makes her an offensive threat that can ignite the French team's offense at any moment.

Marine is the second and youngest daughter of Lionel and Geraldine Johannes, who welcomed her on Jan. 21, 1995, in Lisieux, France. She started playing basketball when she was eight years old at the Pont-l'Évêque club.

She turned pro with USO Mondeville at the age of 12 and went on to win the U17 women's French League twice in 2011 and 2012, the U17 French Cup in 2012 and the Youth French League in 2013.

Marine Johannes went undrafted in the 2017 WNBA draft but was later picked up by the New York Liberty ahead of the 2019 season. She also signed with the French club Lyon ASVEL in 2019 and split her time between Liberty and ASVEL, playing in the two leagues during the other's offseason.

Johannes, nicknamed "Wizard," began paying for the French national team at the age of 21 in 2016 and was a surprise addition to the Rio 2016 Olympics as one of the youngest players in the tournament.

Since then, the French guard has been an integral part of the national squad, as it won silver at three consecutive EuroBasket tournaments in 2017, 2019 and 2021. Marine was back with the French team for the Tokyo Olympics, in which she bagged the bronze medal with the squad, which was her first global medal.

As a youngster, Johannes watched YouTube videos of Michael Jordan and Kobe Bryant, as she became inspired to improve her basketball skills, per The Athletic. She also watched Jason Williams and Stephon Marbury while checking Tony Parker play for the San Antonio Spurs.

How is Marine Johannes faring at the 2024 Paris Olympics?

Marine Johannes put up an array of terrific performances for the French team off the bench as it made its way to face Team USA for the finals of the 2024 Paris Olympics on Sunday.

Ahead of the upcoming matchup, Johannes has averaged 12.2 points, 2.0 rebounds and 2.4 assists in France's five Olympic games, while shooting 37.5% from the field and 31.7% from deep. Even though she has already won an Olympic bronze and is destined for a higher color at the Paris Games, Marine Johannes will look to clinch the gold with her home crowd cheering the French team on.