Victor Wembanyama will be the basketball star for the Olympic Games this summer. But he might not be the only “Wemby” taking part in the adventure.
Wembanyama’s name will surely be one of the most heard among the supporters of the French team during the Olympic Games. After his thunderous season across the Atlantic, crowned by the title of Rookie of the Year in the NBA as well as a second place in the ranking of the best defender of the year behind his compatriot Rudy Gobert, Victor Wembanyama returns this summer to Paris with the French basketball team to try to win the Olympic title. The preparation has already begun and is proving promising, as illustrated by the 25 points scored by “Wemby” against Germany on July 6
But one Wembanyama can hide another! Or rather another since Victor’s sister, Ève, could also participate in the Olympic adventure this summer in Paris, along with her brother. Aged 22, she has in fact joined the French 3×3 basketball team since last year, and is part of the group of eight players who have prepared to try to go for the gold medal on the Place de la Concorde from July 30. The final selection of the 4 players selected for the tournament was to be made official on Monday July 8.
A three-man of 1.85m, Ève Wembanyama first played at ASVEL, before signing for Calais and then Monaco in the second division during the 2022-2023 season. It was at this time that she turned to 3×3 basketball, which corresponds more to her physical and technical qualities. This is what Yann Julien, the coach of the Bleues, indicated during an interview given to the daily The Parisian : “Eve has this technical versatility and physical skills, endurance and an ability to repeat efforts. She is a great athlete with the qualities of a real 3×3 player.”
Victor’s big sister can indeed count on the extraordinary family predispositions that characterize the Wembanyamas to bring real added value to the French 3×3 team, which finished fourth in the Olympic tournament at the Tokyo Games in 2021.
A recent discipline in the world of basketball, 3-on-3 comes directly from playgrounds and is characterized by its spectacular side. Unlike five-on-five basketball, it is played on a single basket, and the team must score 21 points, or be in the lead after ten minutes of play to win the match. Each basket is worth one point and three-pointers are worth two instead of three in classic basketball. World champions in 2022 and vice-world champions in 2023, the French women’s team is aiming for a big performance this summer in Paris for the Games, and is starting to dream of Olympic gold.