Nigeria’s evergreen guard Ezinne Kalu has sealed a move to Wuhan Shengfan ahead of the 2025/26 Women’s Chinese Basketball Association (WCBA) season, continuing her adventure in Asia’s most competitive women’s league.
The four-time FIBA Women’s AfroBasket champion makes the switch after a standout season with Zhejiang, where she was one of the league’s most impactful imports.
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In 33 outings, the 33-year-old averaged 21.5 points, 4.2 rebounds, 3.8 assists, and 2.5 steals per game; numbers that underline her all-around influence on both ends of the court.
Carrying D’Tigress legacy into China
Kalu’s arrival at Wuhan comes on the back of another glittering summer in Nigerian colours. The veteran guard was pivotal as D’Tigress clinched their fifth consecutive AfroBasket title in Abidjan, Ivory Coast, securing an impressive seventh continental crown and a coveted spot at the 2026 FIBA Women’s Basketball World Cup Qualifying Tournament.
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Her leadership and playmaking remain central to Nigeria’s dominance, and Wuhan Shengfan will be banking on that same pedigree as they chase their first major domestic crown.
A career across continents
Though nomadic, Kalu’s career reflects her adaptability and elite consistency at the highest levels of the women’s game. She has featured in: France (Landerneau), Germany (Stars Keltern), Hungary (Vasas Akademia), Italy (ASD Pallacanestro Roma), Portugal (Olivais Coimbra, Clube Desportivo Torres Novas), Russia (Dynamo Kursk), Turkey (Kayseri Kaski Spor), and most recently, China (Zhejiang).
Her versatility and durability across Europe’s toughest leagues laid the foundation for her success in Asia.
Honours and Milestones
Kalu has consistently collected individual honours to match her team’s achievements.
2019 AfroBasket MVP (Dakar, Senegal), Eurobasket.com Italian Serie A1 All-Imports Team (2024), Paris 2024 Olympian, where she helped D’Tigress to an inspiring quarter-final finish, a milestone that confirmed Nigeria’s rise among global heavyweights in women’s basketball.
What Wuhan gain
For Wuhan Shengfan, signing Kalu is more than just adding a proven scorer. It is the acquisition of a floor general and leader who thrives under pressure. Her ability to combine scoring bursts with defensive grit makes her one of Africa’s most complete guards.
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At 33, she remains in peak condition, with her international experience set to lift Wuhan’s ambitions as they mount a strong challenge for the WCBA crown.
With the AfroBasket glory still fresh and another World Cup on the horizon, Ezinne Kalu’s move to Wuhan signals not just a career chapter, but a continuation of her quest for excellence across continents.
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