Monique Akoa-Makani Bio
Monique Akoa-Makani is a Cameroonian professional basketball player who competes for the Phoenix Mercury of the Women’s National Basketball Association (WNBA) and for Tango Bourges Basket of the La Boulangère Wonderligue in France. Born on 4 February 2001 in Edéa, Cameroon, she plays the point guard position and is listed at 5 ft 10 in (1.78 m). She has built her career across top French clubs while also representing Cameroon on the international stage.
After growing up between Cameroon and France, Akoa-Makani developed through elite French basketball structures before stepping into professional competition as a teenager. Her path has taken her from youth academies to a senior LFB title, and more recently to the WNBA, marking her as one of the notable French-based Cameroonian guards of her generation.
Early Life and Background
Monique Akoa-Makani was born on 4 February 2001 in Edéa, Cameroon. She spent her early childhood there before moving with her family to France at age nine, where she would eventually build her basketball foundation. The transition from Central Africa to Europe introduced her to a more structured sporting environment and a wider range of competitive opportunities.
Before basketball, Akoa-Makani grew up playing football, the most popular sport in her home region. She tried out basketball at school and quickly took to the game, joining the local French club Basket Charpennes Croix-Luizet. After about a year with that youth club, she was recruited into the ASVEL Féminin system, where she would spend the next stage of her development.
At ASVEL, Akoa-Makani became a member of the club’s renowned training centre, spending nine years in the program. That long formative period helped her grow physically and technically, and it laid the groundwork for her eventual promotion to ASVEL’s senior team in French top-flight competition.
Path to Basketball
Akoa-Makani’s rise through the French basketball pyramid was steady and deliberate. Her time in the ASVEL training centre gave her exposure to high-level coaching, strength programs, and tactical concepts, and it allowed her to mature as a point guard in one of the country’s most demanding club environments.
Her first major opportunity came when she was promoted to ASVEL’s first team late in the 2018–19 season, a sign that the club viewed her as a player ready for senior minutes. That promotion marked her transition from a developing academy prospect to a recognized professional in French women’s basketball.
Monique Akoa-Makani Career
Early Career (2018–2021)
Akoa-Makani made her senior debut with ASVEL Féminin during the 2018–19 season, appearing in four games and averaging 2.8 points per game. Despite the limited role, she was part of a roster that won the Ligue Féminine de Basketball (LFB) title, giving her an early taste of championship-level basketball at a very young age.
Over the following two seasons, 2019–20 and 2020–21, her playing time at ASVEL remained limited as the club continued to feature more experienced guards. Even so, her time within a title-contending program helped her refine her game and prepare for a larger role elsewhere.
France Breakthrough (2021–Present)
For the 2021–22 season, Akoa-Makani joined CSP Nantes-Rezé in the French second division, Ligue 2, where she averaged 12.8 points per game. The step down in division came with a significant step up in responsibility, and her scoring output reflected her readiness for a featured offensive role.
In 2022, she moved to Charnay Basket Bourgogne Sud, a move that would define the next phase of her career. During the 2022–23 season, she averaged 6.8 points while helping Charnay win the league title and earn promotion to the LFB, the top flight of French women’s basketball. The following season, 2023–24, she averaged 12.5 points in the LFB, and in 2024–25 she raised her production to 14.7 points per game, establishing herself as one of the league’s more consistent scoring guards.
Building on that momentum, Akoa-Makani signed with Tango Bourges Basket for the 2025–26 season, joining one of the most storied franchises in French women’s basketball. The move represented another step up in competition and visibility as she continued to balance her European and WNBA commitments.
Phoenix Mercury Era (2025–Present)
On 25 March 2025, Akoa-Makani signed a training camp contract with the Phoenix Mercury of the WNBA, beginning her pursuit of a roster spot in the United States. She went on to make the team’s final roster, securing her place on an active WNBA roster for the 2025 season.
The Mercury signing capped a long climb from French youth basketball to the world’s top professional league for women. Playing point guard for Phoenix, Akoa-Makani entered her WNBA career as a proven scorer and LFB champion, with the opportunity to test her game against the deepest talent pool in the women’s game.
Driving Style and Strengths
Akoa-Makani is a scoring point guard whose game has grown most clearly on the offensive end. She has shown the ability to carry larger scoring loads, posting double-digit averages at multiple French stops, while continuing to develop her playmaking and decision-making at the point guard position.
Notable Events and Milestones
Her most notable milestones include winning the LFB title with ASVEL Féminin in 2018–19, helping Charnay Basket Bourgogne Sud win a league title and promotion in 2022–23, and signing with the Phoenix Mercury in March 2025. She has also represented Cameroon at major international events, including the 2023 Women’s Afrobasket.
Monique Akoa-Makani Career Wins
Across her career, Monique Akoa-Makani has collected team titles at multiple levels of French basketball while also earning individual recognition through her scoring production. Her résumé includes a top-flight French championship, a second-division title, and a place on a WNBA roster.
France Highlights
Akoa-Makani won the Ligue Féminine de Basketball title with ASVEL Féminin in 2018–19 in a limited role. She later added a second-division championship with Charnay Basket Bourgogne Sud in 2022–23, a campaign that also brought promotion back to the LFB. Her individual scoring trajectory has trended upward, climbing from 12.8 points per game at CSP Nantes-Rezé to 14.7 points per game in her final Charnay season in 2024–25.
Other Wins & Performances
Beyond club basketball, Akoa-Makani has represented the Cameroon women’s national basketball team, including participation at the 2023 Women’s Afrobasket and in qualifiers for the 2024 Afrobasket. These appearances underscore her standing within Cameroonian basketball and her continued role on the national stage.
Monique Akoa-Makani Family
Family Background and Racing Lineage
Akoa-Makani’s family background is rooted in Edéa, Cameroon, where she was born and spent her early childhood. Her family later relocated to France when she was nine, a move that ultimately shaped her path into organized basketball and her long association with French club systems.
Personal Life
Publicly available information about Akoa-Makani’s personal life remains limited. She holds Cameroonian and French nationality, reflecting her upbringing across both countries, and she continues her professional career in Europe and the WNBA.
2025 Season Performance
The 2025 season represents a landmark year in Akoa-Makani’s career. She signed a training camp contract with the Phoenix Mercury on 25 March 2025 and earned a place on the team’s final roster, beginning her first WNBA campaign. The Mercury era offers her a new competitive environment and a chance to translate her French-league production to the WNBA level.
Domestically, Akoa-Makani wrapped up her 2024–25 campaign with Charnay by averaging 14.7 points per game in the LFB, the highest scoring mark of her French top-flight career. That strong finish set the stage for her summer move to Phoenix and her parallel signing with Tango Bourges Basket for the 2025–26 French season.
Looking ahead, Akoa-Makani’s 2025 outlook centers on establishing herself as a reliable WNBA rotation player while continuing to develop within a championship-caliber French program at Bourges. With a national-team résumé that includes the 2023 Women’s Afrobasket, she also remains a candidate for future senior tournaments with Cameroon.