PHOENIX – Monique Akoa Makani’s journey to the WNBA was one that required focus. Throughout it, she had to convince herself that she belonged. And she still does, but now it is fair to say Akoa Makani is right where she needs to be – reaping the rewards of her approach with the Phoenix Mercury.
Akoa Makani, a point guard who signed a training camp contract with the Mercury in March, is off to a hot start in her first WNBA season as she has been one of the more productive rookies in the league. She is third in net rating (9.9) – a measure of a team’s offensive and defensive effectiveness when a player is on the court – among rookies playing at least 10 minutes per game. She is averaging 7.6 points, 2.5 assists and 2.3 rebounds in 12 games and is among the best 3-point shooters in the league at 47%.
Learn her name. Remember her name.
Monique Akoa Makani. pic.twitter.com/ahbpapyGp8— Phoenix Mercury (@PhoenixMercury) June 2, 2025
“I love her joy that she plays with,” coach Nate Tibbetts said. “She has the potential to get better and better which is the most exciting part. She wants to be good and she has the ability to be good.”
Akoa Makani, 24, was first introduced to basketball in France when she was 11 – a year after leaving her home country of Cameroon with her family. Basketball was one of the sports played at her school. One of Akoa Makani’s professors took note of her skills and advised Akoa Makani’s dad that playing the sport would be a good way to use her energy.
“My dad was like, ‘Do you like it?’ and I was like, ‘Yeah,’” Akoa Makani said. “The only thing I knew before was soccer. It was something new that I’ve never done before.”
Soccer is the most popular sport in the world and the dominant sport in Africa. Akoa Makani grew up with brothers and that was the only sport they used to play. She said basketball was “the new game” and playing it brought her excitement.
Akoa Makani’s professional career began in France’s top women’s league, Ligue Féminine de Basketball, and the second division (LF2). She played with ASVEL Féminin, CSP Nantes‑Rezé and Charnay Basket Bourgogne Sud. Her time in France taught her how much discipline it takes to make it to the WNBA.
“I always dreamed of playing in the WNBA of course, but when you have to start playing in division two, I started to put it (in the back of my mind) and focus on the journey,” Akoa Makani said. “By focusing on the journey it happened to come at me like this.”
Akoa Makani’s best season overseas was in her final year with Charnay Basket Bourgogne Sud in 2024, where she averaged a career-best 14.7 points per game and showcased a two-way ability that led to a call from the Mercury. Akoa Makani was offered a training camp contract with the Mercury in March – one step closer to her dream.
She took it as an opportunity to be herself with no expectations attached. As long as she tried her best and did the same thing that brought her success in France, she would be satisfied with the results. Whatever happened would just be a part of her journey.
“At the end of the day I cannot control getting a spot or not,” Akoa Makani said. “Sometimes we (athletes) get caught up in wanting this, this, that and that.”
But Akoa Makani’s approach was not that of the typical athlete. She knows what she can bring to a team and her sole focus was on bringing a calm demeanor to training camp. The final decision was Tibbetts’ and his staff.
Controlling the controllables turned out to work in Akoa Makani’s favor as her efforts led to the signing of a rookie-scale contract with the Mercury. Akoa Makani made the team – her hard work paid off and her dream came true. She said she was surprised with the news but it showed her that the timing was right for her first opportunity in the WNBA.
“I don’t feel like I see what people see in me whenever they watch me play because I’ve always been so hard on myself,” Akoa Makani said. “I was like, ‘Ok God, you got me.’”
Growing up, Akoa Makani was inspired by Russell Westbrook, Kobe Bryant and Maya Moore. Moore remains Akoa Makani’s favorite player and said she tried to mirror Bryant’s mentality – a player famously known for his “Mamba Mentality” approach that was widely appreciated. Athletes get injured, but through the pain, Akoa Makani would push herself to her limits in order to reach new heights.
But Akoa Makani took lessons from more than just the greats. She said she shaped her game based on everyone she has encountered throughout her career.
“Everybody has something to teach you,” Akoa Makani said. “Every time I would see a veteran or somebody doing something I would want to do, we would start talking.”
With Akoa Makani now in the WNBA, she is the only player representing Cameroon internationally in the league – an honor she does not take lightly. While she had little to say on the subject, Akoa Makani expressed the pride she takes in being in her position.
There have been some Cameroonian-born players representing other countries, mainly France, in recent years. Seattle Storm forward Dominique Malonga, the No. 2 overall pick in the 2025 WNBA Draft, was born in Cameroon but played for France in the 2024 Olympics. NBA star Joel Embiid opted to represent Team USA in the Paris Olympics – a controversial decision considering his ties to Cameroon and France.
Even Pascal Siakam of the Indiana Pacers, who are competing in the NBA Finals, was born in Cameroon. Akoa Makani said because of the talent the country has produced, she believes basketball is in a good place in Cameroon.
For the kids playing the sport, it gives them hope and belief that their dream is within reach. She said having examples is the first step and Akoa Makani looks to be one herself.
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“If you don’t have hope, you can’t dream, you can’t do anything,” Akoa Makani said. “I take it really seriously going back to play for my country.”
Mercury forward Satou Sabally expressed her appreciation for what Akoa Makani has brought to Phoenix since day one of training camp.
“Mo is great,” Sabally said. “She brings good vibes every single day. I like the French, so it’s been great to have her around.”
The “joy” and “good vibes” Akoa Makani brings to the Mercury encapsulate the demeanor she carried in the years of hard work it took her to reach the pinnacle of women’s basketball. For her reputation to be this strongly established after just a few months in the Valley speaks to Akoa Makani’s mantra: be yourself.
She has been able to take advantage of her opportunities as a starting guard for the Mercury this season. Minutes have been available due to the amount of injuries impacting the team. That includes All-Star guard Kahleah Copper, who last Sunday played her first game for the Mercury this season after recovering from a knee injury.
While Akoa Makani said she initially felt the pressure of being in the starting lineup, she credits her teammates and coaches for helping her understand that she was there for a reason – because of the trust they had in her abilities. Once she realized that, Akoa Makani was at ease with the situation.
Copper’s return came in Sunday’s 76-70 win against the Las Vegas Aces. Akoa Makani retained her spot in the starting lineup next to Copper. Before the game, Copper expressed her excitement for joining Akoa Makani in the backcourt.
“Mo has been really great, both defensively and offensively,” Copper said. “Just having that intelligent aggression, she knows when it’s time for her to take over and do other things. Shoutout to Mo.”
Akoa Makani said the formula is simple to her – just be herself. She considers herself to be an overthinker, and similar to her approach in training camp, she is not looking to overcomplicate things.
“Sometimes, because you want to be good you might overthink stuff,” Akoa Makani said. “My first strength is defense, so I just take my rhythm of every game through that. Offensively just push the ball, bring rhythm and set screens.”
Setting screens was something Akoa Makani was not used to before joining the Mercury. But she has been used as a screen setter this season, primarily for Sabally and forward Alyssa Thomas. It has allowed the offense to find openings in the defense, creating easier looks for her teammates.
“You have to adapt yourself to situations sometimes and I take that seriously,” Akoa Makani said. “(Sabally and Thomas) are great players. They are the ones that lift me up. If I respect that and not try to do too much, then I am going to be able to build myself up until the day I become the player that they are but in my own way.”
This is a mindset that has been instrumental in Akoa Makani’s journey to this point where she now finds herself living out her childhood dream of playing on the biggest stage. It is early, but Akoa Makani’s well on her way to establishing an identity of her own – one that she hopes will allow her to make a name for herself in the WNBA for years to come.
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