What Is Monique Akoa Makani’s Ethnicity, Religion, and Nationality? Exploring Her Family Roots and Background

Every WNBA team in 2025 added a rookie—every team except the Phoenix Mercury. Dallas picked up Paige Bueckers, the front-runner for the  Rookie of the Year award, this year. Washington leaned on Sonia Citron and Kiki Iriafen. Seattle had the towering Dominique Malonga. But Phoenix, under one of the league’s most experienced and highest-paid coaches, Nate Tibbetts, made a bold choice: no rookie draft picks. Instead, they traded them for training camp contracts in March: Lexi Held, Anna Makurat, Murjanatu Musa, and Kathryn Westbeld. And yet, seven games into the season, a different name is stealing the spotlight. Monique Akoa Makani, an overseas rookie, is proving that the Mercury knew exactly what they were doing.

Through her first seven games, Makani made 15 three-pointers, second only to Diana Taurasi’s 16 in 2004. She also became the first Mercury rookie since Brittney Griner in 2013 to score in double digits in four straight games. “Skylar does a good job of getting into the paint and drawing fouls, and she likes contact,” Tibbetts said, “but so does [Monique] and [Lexi]. And so I thought, for the first night home opener, they did a fabulous job.” While most rookies climbed through NCAA systems, Makani carved her own lane through European club ball—her story begins far from America’s college courts.

Where is Monique Akoa Makani from? What’s her nationality?

Born on February 4, 2001, in Bafang, Cameroon, Monique Akoa Makani’s early years were spent in this small town nestled in Cameroon’s West Region. At nine, she and her family relocated to France, a move that would define her sporting trajectory. She first picked up a football—then shifted to basketball in school. One trial session turned into a year with the local club Basket Charpennes Croix-Luizet. That was the opening tip-off to a career that never looked back.

Jun 1, 2025; Los Angeles, California, USA; Phoenix Mercury guard Monique Akoa Makani (8) celebrates after making a three point basket during the second half against the Los Angeles Sparks at Crypto.com Arena. Mandatory Credit: Kiyoshi Mio-Imagn Images

She soon joined the prestigious training center at ASVEL Féminin—one of France’s most elite developmental programs. Over nine years, she refined her game through the European club circuit, eventually suiting up for teams like CSP Nantes-Rezé and Charnay Basket Bourgogne Sud. In 2025, her consistent rise brought her to the WNBA’s Phoenix Mercury. That summer, she also signed with Tango Bourges Basket, a top-tier French team with EuroLeague aspirations. Bourges president Agnès Saint-Gès said it best: “Of course, we hoped to bring back titles, but we can’t overlook the entirety of our sporting season.” Makani is one of their four new signings for 2025–26—a signal of trust and ambition from one of France’s most respected clubs.

So while her nationality is Cameroonian and French, her journey bridges continents, cultures, and competitions.

What is Monique Akoa Makani’s ethnicity and religion?

Makani represents a generation of African athletes shaping global leagues. While she has not publicly confirmed her specific ethnic background, Bafang—her birthplace—is located in Cameroon’s West Region, predominantly home to the Bamiléké people. It’s likely she shares roots with this ethnic group, but no official source has stated so definitively.

As for her religion, Makani hasn’t openly spoken about it. However, on April 12, 2024, she posted on Instagram: “I prayed more and said less, God did the rest.” It was a quiet but powerful window into her worldview.

 

While it doesn’t offer direct confirmation, it strongly suggests she holds Christian beliefs—a faith that is widely practiced in both Bafang and across Cameroon. There’s no evidence pointing to her being an atheist or following a different faith.

What we do know is that faith and discipline are consistent undercurrents in her journey, on and off the court.

Which college did Monique Akoa Makani attend?

Here’s where Makani’s path diverges from most WNBA rookies. She never played college ball in the United States. Instead, she rose through the European club development system. After moving to France at age nine, she trained first at Basket Charpennes Croix-Luizet, and then spent nearly a decade at ASVEL Féminin’s academy. It’s a common route for European players, where professional clubs nurture talent from a young age instead of universities.

That investment paid off. Her progression through Nantes-Rezé and Charnay made her one of the most versatile guards on the French circuit—eventually catching the eye of the Mercury GM Nick U’Ren. By bypassing the U.S. collegiate system, Makani followed a different playbook, but one that’s yielding real success.

The post What Is Monique Akoa Makani’s Ethnicity, Religion, and Nationality? Exploring Her Family Roots and Background appeared first on EssentiallySports.