With less than 18 days to the kick-off of the 2024 Paris Olympics, the hooping world is in a frenzy. But there’s just one player whose allegiance pushes all the buttons- Ezi Magbegor -Seattle Storm’s rising star, had put herself in quite an intriguing Olympic dilemma. The 6’4″tall center has dual ethnicity, which keeps the fans and various gurus alike guessing: which nation will she represent on the biggest stage in the world?

Magbegor was born to Nigerian parents in New Zealand and brought up in Australia, which distinctly adds to her special cultural background. As she continues to dominate in the WNBA, expectation begins to grow regarding her Olympic representation with her extraordinary stats.

Ezi Magbegor is Australia’s Olympic hope for 2024

Contrary to what most people are speculating, Ezi Magbegor will represent Australia in the Paris Olympics in 2024. From a tender age, she had dedicated herself to serving the Australian national team. Magbegor starred for Australia during the Olympic qualifying campaign. During the 2024 Olympic Qualifying Tournament held in Brazil, Magbegor played great games. There, she would average a marvelous 12.7 points, 4.3 rebounds, and 3.0 blocks per game to claim the TISSOT Most Valuable Player while guiding the Opals to an undefeated record and Olympic qualification.

Additionally, Magbegor has been a strong player for Australia internationally. She made her international debut with the Opals at the 2018 Commonwealth Games, helping them win gold and averaging 9.2 points per game. At the 2020 Tokyo Olympics, she impressed most with 12.5 points, 4.5 rebounds, and 1.8 assists per game.

Magbegor’s decision to represent Australia suits her journey. Her home for basketball in the WNBA has been with the Seattle Storm; she also had another Opal back in Sami Whitcomb. The fellow Aussie representation extends past the Storm, though, with Kristy Wallace, Bec Allen, and Alanna Smith featuring across multiple WNBA teams. While she has put up these impressive performances in the qualifying campaign, let’s have a look at some of her previous performances.

Rising star Magbegor’s impressive career stats

Magbegor’s growth in this league has been outstanding. In the 2022 season, she averaged high-point career numbers with 9.5 points and 5.6 rebounds, besides 1.8 blocks, 1.4 assists, and 0.9 steals per game. Her efforts on defense earned her a spot on the 2022 WNBA All-Defensive Second Team.

But Magbegor’s presence doesn’t end there in the WNBA. She received accolades such as the 2020 All-WNBL Second Team in the WNBL alongside averages of 15.4 points and 8.8 rebounds per game. Simultaneously, she won the Betty Watson Youth Player of the Year awards in 2018 and 2020.

Ever since her draft by the Seattle Storm in 2019, Magbegor has clocked in impressive numbers to prove her mettle. Will she be able to keep up the same performance in the upcoming Olympics? Only time will tell.

Stay tuned for more such updates, and to follow what Shaq’s ex-agent, Leonard Armato, has to say about the infamous Shaq-Kobe feud, Caitlin Clark’s Olympic snub, and more, watch this video.