Eziyoda "Ezi" Magbegor (born 13 August 1999) is an Australian professional basketball player for the Seattle Storm of the Women's National Basketball Association (WNBA) and USK Prague of the EuroLeague Women and the Czech Women's Basketball League. Magbegor was a member of the Australian Women's basketball team (Opals) at the 2020 Tokyo Olympics. The Opals were eliminated after losing to the USA in the quarterfinals.[1] She was part of the Australian team that won bronze at the 2024 Paris Olympics.
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Professional career
editWNBL
editAfter beginning her career in the South East Australian Basketball League (SEABL) with Basketball Australia's development team, the Centre of Excellence, Magbegor did not take long to gain attention from professional leagues. In July 2017, Magbegor was signed by the Canberra Capitals for the 2017–18 WNBL season.[2]
In March 2018, it was announced that Magbegor had signed a three-year deal with the Melbourne Boomers.[3] Magbegor first suited up for the Boomers in the 2018–19 WNBL season, choosing to stay home in Australia working alongside the likes of Jenna O'Hea, Lauren Jackson and Guy Molloy despite several offers from US colleges.
In February 2020, Magbegor was named the Betty Watson Australian Youth Player of the Year (formerly the WNBL Rookie of the Year award) at the Women’s National Basketball League (WNBL) Awards, scoring 38 votes from a possible tally of 42 votes.[4]
In April 2022, Magbegor was part of the Melbourne Boomers championship team before moving to play basketball next season in Hungary [5]
WNBA
editSeattle Storm (2020–present)
editMagbegor was selected 12th overall by the Seattle Storm in the 2019 WNBA draft. At just 19 years old, she did not come over for the 2019 WNBA season, as both she and the Storm preferred that she remain in Australia to continue her development.[6]
Magbegor joined the Storm for the 2020 WNBA season, which was played in the Wubble.[7] In her rookie season, on a team with championship ambitions, Magbegor had a limited role. She averaged 13.3 minutes, 6.5 points, and 2.5 rebounds per game in the regular season, while shooting 56.9% from the floor, the ninth-best in the league. During the Storm's playoff run, she played only 35 minutes as the team went on to win the championship.[8][9] Magbegor became the second-youngest player in history to win a WNBA championship.[10]
In her second season with the Storm, Magbegor's role slightly increased, and she started three games in the regular season. The Storm won the inaugural WNBA Commissioner's Cup and finished fourth in the regular season standings. However, they were unable to replicate their previous playoff success, losing to the Phoenix Mercury in a second-round single-elimination game. In that matchup, Magbegor made her first career playoff start, as Seattle was without their star forward Breanna Stewart due to injury.[11]
In her third season with the Storm, Magbegor became a regular starter, starting in 23 games and averaging 24.8 minutes per game. However, she eventually lost her starting spot to midseason signing Tina Charles. In the playoffs, Magbegor’s playing time decreased to an average of 15.5 minutes per game as the Storm fell to the eventual champions Las Vegas Aces 1–3 in the semifinals. Nonetheless, it was a successful season for Magbegor who was named to the WNBA All-Defensive Second Team for the first time in her career.[12]
Before the 2023 season, Magbegor signed a two-year deal with the Storm.[13] With Seattle losing Breanna Stewart and Tina Charles to free agency, and Sue Bird to retirement, the 2023 Seattle Storm season marked the start of a new chapter. Magbegor took on an undisputed starting role, starting all 40 games and averaging 32.6 minutes per game. She posted career-highs in all statistical categories and earned her first-ever selection to the WNBA All-Star Game. Magbegor was also named to the WNBA All-Defensive Second Team for the second consecutive season.[14] Despite her individual success, the Storm, with a much younger and less experienced roster, struggled and missed the playoffs for the first time since 2015.
For the 2024 season, the Storm significantly strengthened their roster by signing star free agents Nneka Ogwumike and Skylar Diggins-Smith. Alongisde these two and Jewell Loyd, Magbegor formed what the team marketed as the "Core Four."[15] In June, Magbegor signed a one-year contract extension with the Storm.[16] She started 37 games in the regular season, missing only the final three due to a concussion. As a result of being in the concussion protocol, she also missed the first playoff game against the Aces.[17] Although she returned for the second game, her efforts could not prevent another loss, which led to the Storm’s elimination from the playoffs.[18] Despite her solid performances, Magbegor was not selected for the 2024 WNBA All-Star Game, a decision ESPN's Kevin Pelton described as "the most egregious omission ever."[19] However, she received three votes for the WNBA Defensive Player of the Year Award[20] and was named to the WNBA All-Defensive First Team for the first time in her career.[21]
National team career
editYouth level
editMagbegor made her international debut at the 2015 FIBA Under-19 World Championship in Russia, with the U19 Gems as a 16 year old. She then represented the U17 Sapphires at the 2015 Oceania Championships. Dominating the tournament, averaging 18 points per game and helping Australia take home Gold. Magbegor then lead the Sapphires to their inaugural World Championship title in Spain. After snapping team USA's 28-game win streak at U17 level, Australia went on to take home Gold. Alongside two of her teammates, Magbegor was named to the All-Tournament Team. In addition to this, she received the Most Valuable Player award.[22]
Senior level
editIn December 2017, Magbegor was named to her first Opals squad, earning her a place in the first camp as preparations for this years upcoming tournaments got underway.[23] After taking part in the team camp in February, Magbegor was then named to the final roster for the 2018 Commonwealth Games where she would make her Opals debut.[24] Magbegor starred for the Opals at the Tokyo 2020 Olympics, having a standout game in Australia's win against the US in a pre-tournament friendly with 17 points, equal most in the game with Breanna Stewart. Magbegor then top scored for Australia during the Olympic tournament with 20 points and eight rebounds in the game against Belgium (her Olympic debut), and 15 points against China.[25]
Magbegor, like all the other members of the 2020 Tokyo Olympics Opals women's basketball team, had a difficult tournament. The Opals lost their first two group stage matches. They looked flat against Belgium and then lost to China in heartbreaking circumstances. In their last group match the Opals needed to beat Puerto Rico by 25 or more in their final match to progress. This they did by 27 in a very exciting match. However, they lost to the United States in their quarterfinal 79 to 55.[26]
Magbegor returned to the spotlight at the 2024 Summer Olympics in Paris. The Opals won the bronze medal with a win over Belgium. Magbegor starred in that match, scoring 30 points on 71 percent shooting, while also contributing 13 rebounds, three blocks, three assists and two steals. Her performance won her credit for both her offensive and defensive achievement.[27]
Career statistics
edit| GP | Games played | GS | Games started | MPG | Minutes per game | RPG | Rebounds per game |
| APG | Assists per game | SPG | Steals per game | BPG | Blocks per game | PPG | Points per game |
| TO | Turnovers per game | FG% | Field-goal percentage | 3P% | 3-point field-goal percentage | FT% | Free-throw percentage |
| Bold | Career best | ° | League leader |
| † | Denotes season(s) in which Magbegor won a WNBA championship |
WNBA
editRegular season
editStats current through end of 2024 season
| Year | Team | GP | GS | MPG | FG% | 3P% | FT% | RPG | APG | SPG | BPG | TO | PPG |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2019 | Did not appear in league | ||||||||||||
| 2020† | Seattle | 22 | 0 | 13.3 | .569 | .333 | .704 | 2.5 | 0.3 | 0.5 | 0.7 | 0.4 | 6.5 |
| 2021 | Seattle | 30 | 3 | 15.2 | .506 | .556 | .846 | 3.9 | 0.8 | 0.6 | 1.0 | 0.9 | 6.7 |
| 2022 | Seattle | 33 | 23 | 24.8 | .550 | .345 | .736 | 5.6 | 1.4 | 0.9 | 1.8 | 1.4 | 9.5 |
| 2023 | Seattle | 40 | 40 | 32.6 | .513 | .385 | .699 | 8.1 | 2.6 | 1.1 | 1.9 | 2.4 | 13.8 |
| 2024 | Seattle | 37 | 37 | 30.7 | .512 | .245 | .874 | 8.0 | 2.0 | 1.1 | 2.2 | 1.4 | 11.7 |
| Career | 5 years, 1 team | 162 | 103 | 24.7 | .524 | .343 | .769 | 6.0 | 1.6 | 0.9 | 1.6 | 1.4 | 10.1 |
| All-Star | 1 | 0 | 12.1 | .250 | .000 | — | 4.0 | 2.0 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 1.0 | 2.0 | |
Playoffs
edit| Year | Team | GP | GS | MPG | FG% | 3P% | FT% | RPG | APG | SPG | BPG | TO | PPG |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2020† | Seattle | 6 | 0 | 5.8 | .222 | .000 | 1.000 | 1.2 | 0.3 | 0.0 | 0.2 | 0.0 | 1.0 |
| 2021 | Seattle | 1 | 1 | 31.0 | .444 | 1.000 | — | 9.0 | 2.0 | 0.0 | 1.0 | 1.0 | 9.0 |
| 2022 | Seattle | 6 | 0 | 15.5 | .583 | — | .667 | 2.7 | 1.0 | 0.7 | 1.0 | 0.2 | 5.0 |
| 2024 | Seattle | 1 | 1 | 28.0 | .600 | .667 | .000 | 7.0 | 2.0 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 14.0 |
| Career | 4 years, 1 team | 14 | 2 | 13.4 | .500 | .500 | .571 | 2.8 | 0.9 | 0.3 | 0.6 | 0.1 | 4.2 |
Personal life
editBorn in Wellington, New Zealand to Nigerian parents, Magbegor moved to Australia with her family at age six. One of Australian basketball's most promising talents, she has already been said to be the next Lauren Jackson.[28][29] As of 2021, Magbegor is currently studying a Bachelor of Psychology at Deakin University;[30] she had initially been studying a Bachelor of Commerce in 2019.[31] She was inspired by Kobe Bryant to change degrees as she wanted to attain his "Mamba Mentality". In 2021, Magbegor was named as Deakin University's Female Sportsperson of the Year.[32]
References
edit- ^ "Basketball MAGBEGOR Ezi - Tokyo 2020 Olympics". olympics.com. Archived from the original on 30 September 2021. Retrieved 13 October 2021.
- ^ Sod (5 July 2017). "UC CAPITALS NAME EZI MAGBEGOR WITH ONE-YEAR DEAL". WNBL. wnbl.com.au. Archived from the original on 28 July 2017. Retrieved 22 July 2017.
- ^ "EZI MAGBEGOR JOINS DEAKIN MELBOURNE BOOMERS FOR 3 YEARS". wnbl.com.au. 27 March 2018.
- ^ "Congratulations Ezi Magbegor on your WNBL Award!". Deakin Life. Deakin University. Archived from the original on 20 February 2020. Retrieved 20 February 2020.
- ^ "Ezi Magbegor and Lindsay Allen moving to Europe next season". 14 May 2022.
- ^ "Seattle Storm invests in future with selection of Australian star Ezi Magbegor in WNBA draft". The Seattle Times. 10 April 2019. Retrieved 17 October 2024.
- ^ Symons, Kasey (26 October 2020). "Ezi Magbegor on the WNBA, Aussie hoops and sport for social justice". Siren. Retrieved 17 October 2024.
- ^ "After standout rookie season, Ezi Magbegor could be key on Storm's thin frontcourt". The Seattle Times. 3 May 2021. Retrieved 17 October 2024.
- ^ James, Derek (31 December 2020). "Seattle Storm player season review: Ezi Magbegor". The Next. Retrieved 17 October 2024.
- ^ Hustwaite, Megan (20 July 2020). "Seattle Storm's Ezi Magbegor becomes second youngest player to win WNBA title". Herald Sun. Retrieved 17 October 2024.
- ^ "Defending champion Storm ousted in playoff opener; is that a career finale for Sue Bird?". The Seattle Times. 26 September 2021. Retrieved 17 October 2024.
- ^ Hames, Hunter (4 February 2023). "Ezi Magbegor Returns to Seattle » Winsidr". Winsidr. Retrieved 17 October 2024.
- ^ Hames, Hunter (4 February 2023). "Ezi Magbegor Returns to Seattle » Winsidr". Winsidr. Retrieved 17 October 2024.
- ^ "Storm's Ezi Magbegor named to WNBA All-Defensive second team". The Seattle Times. 22 September 2023. Retrieved 17 October 2024.
- ^ "Why Jewell Loyd is still the eye of the Storm on budding super team | 2024 season preview". The Seattle Times. 10 May 2024. Retrieved 17 October 2024.
- ^ Munson, Bella (13 June 2024). "Ezi Magbegor contract extension continues growth in Seattle". The Next. Retrieved 17 October 2024.
- ^ "Storm's Magbegor (concussion) misses G1 loss". ESPN.com. 22 September 2024. Retrieved 17 October 2024.
- ^ "Storm swept away by Aces in opening round of WNBA playoffs". The Seattle Times. 24 September 2024. Retrieved 17 October 2024.
- ^ "WNBA All-Star roster revealed: Snubs and top questions". ESPN.com. 3 July 2024. Retrieved 17 October 2024.
- ^ "Lynx's Collier wins WNBA DPOY; Reeve top coach". ESPN.com. 29 September 2024. Retrieved 17 October 2024.
- ^ "Storm's Ezi Magbegor, Nneka Ogwumike make WNBA All-Defensive teams". The Seattle Times. 29 September 2024. Retrieved 17 October 2024.
- ^ "Magbegor named MVP of 2016 FIBA U17 Women's World Championship, headlines All-Star Five". fiba.com. Archived from the original on 5 July 2016.
- ^ "OPALS ANNOUNCED FOR FIRST CAMP AHEAD OF COMMONWEALTH GAMES". basketball.net.au. Archived from the original on 14 August 2018. Retrieved 28 March 2018.
- ^ "OPALS TEAM ANNOUNCED FOR 2018 GOLD COAST COMMONWEALTH GAMES". WNBL. wnbl.com.au. 7 March 2018.
- ^ "Opals' reveal full extent of Liz Cambage trauma after Olympics disaster". news.com.au.
- ^ "Australian Olympic Team for Tokyo 2021". The Roar. Retrieved 14 October 2021.
- ^ "Australia's Opals hit Paris Olympics podium with victory in tense bronze-medal against Belgium". ABC News. Retrieved 12 August 2024.
- ^ Helmers, Caden (1 December 2017). Canberra Capitals Nat Hurst and Eziyoda Magbegor named in Australian Opals squad. The Sydney Morning Herald. Retrieved 16 April 2018.
- ^ Helmers, Caden (21 October 2017). Canberra Capitals young gun Eziyoda Magbegor forging her own legacy. The Canberra Times. Retrieved 16 April 2018.
- ^ "Go Ezi and team! Meet the Deakin students representing Australia at the 2020 Tokyo Olympic and Paralympic Games". Deakin Life. Deakin University. 7 July 2021. Retrieved 17 July 2021.
- ^ "Deakin student and Boomers star Ezi headed for the WNBA". Deakin Life. Deakin University. Archived from the original on 23 July 2021. Retrieved 24 April 2019.
- ^ "2021 Deakin Sport Awards: Congratulations to our Sportsperson of the Year winners!". Deakin Life. Deakin University. 9 December 2021. Retrieved 13 December 2021.
External links
edit- Career statistics and player information from WNBA.com and Basketball Reference
- Ezi Magbegor at FIBA (archived)