Ezi Magbegor Bio
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 for the Hive of Unrivaled. A versatile forward and center listed at 6 ft 4 in (1.93 m), she has built a reputation as one of the most promising big women in international basketball, drawing comparisons to Australian legend Lauren Jackson early in her career.
Born in Wellington, New Zealand to Nigerian parents, Magbegor moved to Australia with her family at age six and developed into a foundational piece for the senior national team, the Opals. Across the WNBA, Europe’s top leagues, and the Australian Women’s National Basketball League (WNBL), she has collected league championships, individual awards, and a senior international bronze medal.
Early Life and Background
Eziyoda Magbegor was born on 13 August 1999 in Wellington, New Zealand, to Nigerian parents. When she was six years old, the family relocated to Australia, where she was raised in the Canberra area and developed her early game through local and national development pathways.
She attended Lake Ginninderra College in Canberra, ACT, and represented Australian development programs from a young age. Her rapid physical growth and skill set quickly marked her as a future international prospect, and she began her senior career in the South East Australian Basketball League (SEABL) with Basketball Australia’s Centre of Excellence program.
Outside of basketball, Magbegor enrolled at Deakin University, where she began studying a Bachelor of Commerce in 2019 before switching to a Bachelor of Psychology. In 2021, the university named her Female Sportsperson of the Year in recognition of her performances for the Opals and the Seattle Storm.
Path to Basketball
Magbegor’s rise through the Australian system was unusually fast. By her mid-teens she was already representing her country at youth level, and in 2016 she led the Australian U17 Sapphires to their first-ever FIBA Under-17 World Championship title in Spain, snapping a 28-game U17 winning streak by the United States in the process. She was named Most Valuable Player of the tournament and selected to the All-Tournament Team.
At the 2018 FIBA Women’s Basketball World Cup in Spain and the 2019 FIBA Asia Cup in Bangalore, she continued her development against senior-level competition, and in December 2017 she was called into her first Opals squad ahead of the 2018 Commonwealth Games on the Gold Coast, where she made her senior international debut.
Ezi Magbegor Career
Early Career (2017–2019)
Magbegor signed with the Canberra Capitals of the WNBL in July 2017, joining the league as a 17-year-old. Her one season in the capital was strong enough to make her a target for rivals, and in March 2018 she inked a three-year deal with the Melbourne Boomers, choosing to remain in Australia over several United States college offers.
Across the 2017–18 and 2018–19 seasons she grew into one of the WNBL’s most exciting young players, earning comparisons to Lauren Jackson and multiple Youth Player of the Year honours. In 2019, the Seattle Storm selected her 12th overall in the WNBA Draft, but both sides agreed that she should stay in Australia to continue her development before crossing the Pacific.
WNBA Breakthrough with the Seattle Storm (2020–2022)
Magbegor joined the Storm for the 2020 WNBA season, which was played inside the league’s quarantined “Wubble.” On a stacked veteran roster, she carved out a limited but efficient role, averaging 13.3 minutes, 6.5 points, and 2.5 rebounds per game while shooting 56.9 percent from the floor, the ninth-best mark in the league. The Storm went on to win the championship, and at 20 years old Magbegor became the second-youngest player in WNBA history to lift the trophy.
In 2021 her minutes increased and she started three regular-season games. The Storm captured the inaugural WNBA Commissioner’s Cup and reached the playoffs, where she made her first postseason start in place of an injured Breanna Stewart. By 2022 she was a regular starter, suiting up for 23 games and earning the first of three consecutive WNBA All-Defensive Second Team selections, although Seattle was eliminated by the eventual champion Las Vegas Aces in the semifinals.
Current Seattle Storm Era (2023–Present)
Before the 2023 season, Magbegor signed a two-year contract extension with the Storm, taking on an undisputed starting role after the departures of Breanna Stewart, Tina Charles, and the retiring Sue Bird. She started all 40 games, set career highs across the stat sheet, and was named a WNBA All-Star for the first time. She also secured her second straight All-Defensive Second Team nod, though the younger Storm roster missed the playoffs for the first time since 2015.
In 2024 the Storm retooled around Magbegor, Nneka Ogwumike, Skylar Diggins-Smith, and Jewell Loyd, marketing the group as the “Core Four.” Magbegor signed a one-year contract extension in June, started 37 regular-season games, and earned All-Defensive First Team honors. Despite her impact, Seattle was eliminated by the Las Vegas Aces in the first round of the playoffs, and a controversial All-Star snub was widely discussed around the league.
Heading into 2025, Magbegor continues to anchor the Storm’s frontcourt as one of the league’s most reliable two-way big women. On 5 November 2025, she was also drafted by Hive BC for the 2026 Unrivaled season, adding a winter league to her schedule.
Driving Style and Strengths
Magbegor pairs unusual mobility for her 6 ft 4 in frame with high-level rim protection, allowing her to defend the perimeter in switch-heavy schemes and still patrol the paint as a help defender. Offensively, she is at her best rolling to the rim, finishing through contact, and spacing the floor from mid-range, while her length and timing make her a disruptive shot-blocker and rebounder at both ends.
Notable Events and Milestones
Key milestones include her 2016 FIBA U17 World Championship MVP, her 2020 WNBA championship as the second-youngest title-winner in league history, the 2021 Commissioner’s Cup, and her 2024 Paris Olympics bronze medal. In the bronze-medal game against Belgium, she produced 30 points on 71 percent shooting, 13 rebounds, 3 blocks, 3 assists, and 2 steals in one of the defining performances of her career.
Ezi Magbegor Career Wins
Across the WNBA, the WNBL, and European competition, Magbegor has built a resume that includes league championships, a European crown, and individual defensive recognition. She has been a fixture in championship environments, from the 2020 WNBA title to the 2022 WNBL championship with the Melbourne Boomers.
WNBA Highlights
Magbegor won her first WNBA title with the Seattle Storm in 2020, contributing efficient minutes off the bench on a veteran roster. She added the 2021 Commissioner’s Cup with the same franchise and has since grown into a full-time starter, earning WNBA All-Star status in 2023 and All-Defensive First Team recognition in 2024.
European and WNBL Highlights
In April 2022, Magbegor was part of the Melbourne Boomers’ WNBL championship squad before moving to Europe. She played for Sopron Basket in 2022–23, joined USK Prague from 2023 to 2025, and was named to the All-EuroLeague Women First Team in 2024 before winning the EuroLeague Women championship in 2025. She was also a three-time WNBL Youth Player of the Year (2018, 2020, 2022) and FIBA U17 MVP in 2016.
Ezi Magbegor Family
Family Background and Racing Lineage
Magbegor was born in Wellington, New Zealand, to Nigerian parents, and her family moved to Australia when she was six years old. Her Nigerian heritage and early multicultural upbringing have shaped her path from Wellington to Canberra, and from the Centre of Excellence program to the global stage.
Personal Life
Off the court, Magbegor is known for her academic commitments, having studied at Deakin University and later pursuing a Bachelor of Psychology. In 2021 she was named Deakin University’s Female Sportsperson of the Year. Public details about her personal relationships are limited, and she has kept her private life largely out of the spotlight.
2025 Season Performance
The 2025 WNBA season continued Magbegor’s evolution as a two-way leader for the Seattle Storm. Building on her 2023 All-Star campaign and 2024 All-Defensive First Team selection, she remained a central piece of the team’s identity, anchoring the defense and providing steady rim-running and mid-range shooting on offense. Her partnership with new star additions Nneka Ogwumike, Skylar Diggins-Smith, and Jewell Loyd kept the Storm in postseason contention in a deep Western Conference.
Internationally, 2025 was also a defining year, as Magbegor helped USK Prague capture the EuroLeague Women championship and earned All-EuroLeague First Team honors the prior year, further cementing her status among Europe’s elite big women. Her combination of WNBA production, European success, and Opals bronze-medal pedigree has made her one of the most complete frontcourt players in the women’s game.
Looking ahead, Magbegor’s offseason plans include suiting up for Hive BC in the 2026 Unrivaled season, a new winter league that will keep her competitive year-round. With a WNBA career still in its prime years and a senior national team bronze medal on her resume, the 2025 season reinforced her role as a cornerstone of both the Storm and the Australian Opals heading into 2026 and the next Olympic cycle.
