Five reasons Egypt star Elalfy can be Africa's number one baller

MADRID (Spain) - If Egyptian ace and UConn baller Jana Elalfy continues on her upward trajectory, there's every possibility she could take the coveted title of being Africa's best female player.

Currently featuring for her country at the FIBA U19 Women's Basketball World Cup 2023 in Madrid - she scored 29 in her first game and was a key part of Egypt beating China for the first time at the women's youth level - here are just some of the reasons why the sky's the limit for the forward and why she could take that number one spot. 

5- A basketball IQ guarantee

Elalfy was surely always destined to become an elite level player because of her upbringing. She was around basketball 24/7 due to her father Ehab being the national team coach. That meant from the age of three-years-old (yes, three!!!) she watched her dad's every move alongside him at practices and was soaking up his every word from a tender age. 

This incredible grounding and organic growth in terms of her detailed understanding the sport provided a jump-start on the path to stardom. This is now strongly evident in her work on the court where you can see her smarts and impressive basketball IQ.

4- She's a walking double-double

The eye-popping numbers that Elalfy regularly produces are an indicator of her talent and underline the potential she has to become one of Africa's leading lights at the senior level - if not the number one baller.  She is a walking double-double and that is not opinion, it's just fact. If you average out her three major tournaments in an Egypt vest, she's averaging a phenomenal 19.9 points and 10.9 boards per game.

As she becomes closer to making the transition to the senior Egypt team during coming years, those numbers will inevitably fall, but you can also be confident that after making the necessary adjustments, you can see double-doubles at the top level regularly coming her way. 

3- UConn and Geno are gonna make their mark

The next chapter for Elalfy is already in progress and it is going to be another formative stage of her burgeoning career. She has already landed at the prestigious UConn and started working with FIBA Hall of Fame coach Geno Auriemma. That in itself is going to be an incredible experience, both in terms of her game being elevated with the help of the legendary play-caller, but also going up against some amazing young talents every day in practice and then playing alongside them on game days.

Nobody enters the basketball hall at UConn without having went through the 'Geno Test' and now that Elalfy has been given that endorsement, you could barely find a bigger thumbs up confirming she may have what it takes to go a long way in the sport. Working in this environment will leave an indelible mark on her and she'll be counting down to November when she's eligible to play.

2- Size is not the only story

For anybody who puts her stellar statistics down to her size while coming through the youth ranks with Egypt, this is a superficial assessment. Yes, there is an element of this because of her strength and height (1.94m), but dig deeper into her game and there is a whole lot more to see. Primarily, you surely have to be super impressed with her efficiency which averages out at over 23 per game.

When you have the green light from coaches to do what you need to do, it would be easy to jack up bad shots and try to force matters. But with Elalfy, you see a much smarter approach - linked to that IQ mentioned earlier. 

Additionally, Elalfy can handle the ball just fine in many situations and that ability to execute is huge. Her biggest scope for improvement is to work relentlessly on her perimeter game and if she is able to extend her shooting range, then she could really be an unstoppable force in the future. 

1- FIBA youth tournaments as a showcase and launch pad

Elalfy has spoken previously about the importance of playing in FIBA competitions and the positive impact that this has had in her basketball development. Unstoppable in previous FIBA Women's U16 and U18 Afro Basket competitions, she was also outstanding on her global debut last year at the FIBA U17 Women's Basketball World Cup in Debrecen. That has given her an early window into the different basketball styles from around the globe, a tangible insight into the level other young elite-bound ballers are at.

It is a well worn pathway that other rising stars of African basketball have already taken - most notably Sika Kone who might just have something to say when it comes to Elalfy becoming the number one player on their Continent. But at the current rate, you would certainly back Elalfy to be at the forefront of the conversation.

It looks like she is a FIBA Women's AfroBasket MVP of the future and like Kone, it would be fantastic to one day see her completing the set and stepping out at the FIBA Women's Basketball World Cup.

FIBA