Ghanaian siblings representing the Japanese women’s basketball team, are competing in the 2024 Olympic Games in Paris Evelyn and Stephanie Mawuli.
The duo played for Japan in their opening game, which resulted in a 102-76 defeat against the USA.
The Mawuli sisters, born three years apart (Evelyn in 1995 and Stephanie in 1998), hail from Toyohashi, Japan. Their Ghanaian immigrant parents became Japanese citizens in 2009, coinciding with their children’s naturalisation to play for Japan.
Evelyn, the elder sister, has been a key player for Japan since her international debut at the FIBA Asia Under-16 Championship in 2009.
She has earned four FIBA medals and six total medals, including those from her junior career.
Although she entered the WNBA draft in 2017, she went undrafted and subsequently joined the Toyota Antelopes, where she has played ever since.
Evelyn won a silver medal at the 2020 Tokyo Olympic Games.
Stephanie, who began her professional career in 2017, has collected eight medals throughout her career. She has represented Japan at all levels, including 3×3 basketball.
In 2023, Stephanie signed with the New York Liberty for a training camp but was waived after a year, leading her to join the Japanese team Basket Zaragoza.
The 2024 Paris Olympics marks Stephanie’s Olympic debut, highlighted by her performance in the game against the USA on July 29.