Evelyn Mawuli, usually known for her energetic personality, suddenly toned down her volume.
This was during an interview in the mixed zone after a win over Australia in the preparation game against Australia on June 22 in Sapporo, Japan. The Mawuli sisters both had a double-digit scoring performance, with the elder Evelyn scoring 13 points and younger Stephanie scoring 12.
When Evelyn was asked about Stephanie's growth, she lowered her voice. It seemed she didn't want Stephanie, who was being interviewed nearby, to overhear her comments.
"Yeah, I think she's changed [grown] a lot," Evelyn said.
"I don't really want to say this because she's nearby, but I'm starting to feel like I can't beat her one-on-one as her older sister," she confided in a whisper, making sure her sister couldn't hear.
There is a reason for Stephanie's remarkable growth.
It all started last spring when she participated in the New York Liberty's training camp. Since then, she has taken her career overseas, challenging herself at a higher level. She wanted to grow even further by stepping out of the familiar environment in Japan.
Stephanie was in the Liberty's training camp again this spring. Although she didn't make the opening night roster once again, it was another chance for her to experience a high level of competition. For the 2023-24 season, she played for Movistar Estudiantes in Spain.
This year, she will be with Zaragoza, a top club in Spain competing in the EuroLeague Women, and is preparing for the upcoming season.
It was a year filled with both a sense of achievement and frustration for her.
"When you get cut (from the Liberty), you're sent straight out of the gym and lose all contact with the team. It was definitely frustrating, and I realized that I never want to get used to being cut," Stephanie reflected.
"I received feedback from the Liberty that my defense was better last year, so I hope to build on that for the Olympics and the next season," Stephanie said.
Evelyn, who has been watching over her sister, chose to take a year off from basketball during the 2022-23 season, referring to it as her "summer vacation of my life" to rest and recharge both physically and mentally. After that "personal leave", she returned to play in June last year and is now excelling with the Denso Iris in the Women's Japan Basketball League (W League).
When asked in what areas she feels Stephanie might surpass her, Evelyn laughed and said, "I don't want to say that just yet," with her pride as an older sister. Even as she said that, words of praise for her sister naturally flowed out during the conversation.
"Stephanie has always been a skillful player since she was little. In that sense, our playing styles are completely different. But now, in addition to her skills, she's also developed the stamina to play through the entire game and finish strong. I feel like I can't quite match her in being so good at different aspects," Evelyn said.
During the Tokyo Olympics, the sisters competed in different events. Evelyn was part of the traditional Japanese national team, while Stephanie represented Japan in 3x3 basketball.
Evelyn achieved the historic feat of winning Japan's first-ever silver medal in basketball, but Stephanie was overwhelmed by the Olympic stage and couldn't perform to her full potential, resulting in a frustrating quarter-final exit. This year, at the Paris Olympics, the sisters aim for the gold medal together.
Their first opponent at the Paris Olympics is USA - the same team that defeated Evelyn and her teammates in the Final 3 years ago and have currently won the gold medal seven consecutive times. The roster includes Stephanie's former Liberty teammates, Breanna Stewart and Sabrina Ionescu. In the training camp, they talked about how nice it would be to meet again in Paris. "It was a bit disappointing not to make the Liberty's opening roster, so I hope to get my revenge at the Olympics," Stephanie said with a smile.
Regarding their first game against the favorites, USA, she has a positive outlook.
"Conversely, I think it's good we can be at the game with the mindset to give it all you've got."
"We're just going to do what we have to do. Of course, we don't think about losing. If we do what we can do, I think we can win." Both sisters have several motivations for playing in the Olympics as the Japanese national team. One of them is to clear up regrets from the past. For Stephanie in particular, the disappointment of not being able to perform to her full potential at the Tokyo Olympics and not making the Liberty's opening roster still lingers in her mind.
On the other hand, they have a positive desire to give back those who have supported them through tough times by standing on the grand stage together.
"It's an honor for us to be selected as sisters for the national team, and it hasn't been easy to get here. We've come this far with the support of many people, and I think this is a great opportunity to show our gratitude," Stephanie said.
The two sisters, born and raised in Japan to parents from Ghana, obtained Japanese nationality along with their parents to play for the Japanese national team. They have faced many challenges, such as the efforts their parents made to acquire Japanese nationality for them and the struggles of being different from other children because of their skin color.
Evelyn added, "It wasn't easy, whether in basketball or outside of basketball, in every aspect. We've been supported by many people, and going to Paris together is the best way to give those back to them."
FIBA