Deolinda Ngulela (MOZ) - Mozambique v Nigeria, 2015 Afrobasket Women, Yaoundé (Cameroon), Quarter Final, 1 October 2015
YAOUNDE (AfroBasket Women 2015) - Deolinda Ngulela has won several individual awards throughout her basketball career, the most recent of which was being named the best point guard at AfroBasket Women 2015 which concluded last Saturday.
YAOUNDE (AfroBasket Women 2015) - Deolinda Ngulela has won several individual awards throughout her basketball career, the most recent of which was being named the best point guard at AfroBasket Women 2015 which concluded last Saturday.
The 34-year-old playmaker has now announced she played her last game for Mozambique's national team in the Cameroonian capital city of Yaounde which hosted the 12-team event.
Ngulela will continue playing and coaching her club of Costa do Sol, but she will no longer Mozambique's uniform as a player.
"It's the end of my national team career," she told FIBA.com.
In Yaounde, she not only helped Mozambique set a tournament record for most three-points made (17) in a single game but also was named to the All-Star Five alongside Cameroon's Ramses Lonlack, Geraldine Robert of Gabon, Nigeria's Adaora Elonu and Aya Traore of Senegal.
As Mozambique battled in the Classification Round 5th-8th place games against Egypt, the 1.70m guard made 8 of her 15 three-points attempts to become the only player in the tournament to score 30 points or more as they cruised to a 99-76 victory.
In that game, Ngulela finished with 32 points and a dished out a tournament-high 12 assists, but Mozambique returned home with a sixth-place finish after a 69-68 defeat against Mali in the fifth-place game.
Now, Ngulela, an electrifying point guard who gives her all at both ends of the floor, says it's all over.
I has been an amazing experience representing my country worldwide. - Ngulela
"But I am sad that I have never won an AfroBasket [Women] title," said the MVP from AfroBasket Women 2003.
"It has been a remarkable feat winning so many individual titles, but I would have changed all of them for an AfroBasket [Women] title."
On two occasions, in 2003 and 2013, Mozambique came close to winning their first-ever continental title, but finished as runners-up on both occasions.
I have reached the point in my national team career that I am exhausted. - Ngulela.
Over the course of the past few months, Ngulela has split her time playing and coaching local club Costa do Sol. She has reached a point in her life where she needs to define priorities.
"There is an incompatibility with my work [IT engineering] and maybe it is time to focus on my family life," she explained.
As well as playing in five editions of AfroBasket Women (2003, 2007, 2011, 2013 and 2015), Ngulela also featured at the 2012 FIBA Women's Olympic Qualifying Tournament and the 2014 FIBA Women's World Championship.
Now, she says, is the time to give younger players a chance.
"Prior to the tournament, few expected us to reach the Quarter-Finals because of the first-timers in the team, but facing big teams the way we did in Yaounde, I think the future of the team is bright," she enthused.
"I wish the new generation continues to work even harder because anything is possible."
Ngulela will continue playing and coaching her club of Costa do Sol, but she will no longer Mozambique's uniform as a player.
"It's the end of my national team career," she told FIBA.com.
In Yaounde, she not only helped Mozambique set a tournament record for most three-points made (17) in a single game but also was named to the All-Star Five alongside Cameroon's Ramses Lonlack, Geraldine Robert of Gabon, Nigeria's Adaora Elonu and Aya Traore of Senegal.
As Mozambique battled in the Classification Round 5th-8th place games against Egypt, the 1.70m guard made 8 of her 15 three-points attempts to become the only player in the tournament to score 30 points or more as they cruised to a 99-76 victory.
In that game, Ngulela finished with 32 points and a dished out a tournament-high 12 assists, but Mozambique returned home with a sixth-place finish after a 69-68 defeat against Mali in the fifth-place game.
Now, Ngulela, an electrifying point guard who gives her all at both ends of the floor, says it's all over.
I has been an amazing experience representing my country worldwide. - Ngulela
"But I am sad that I have never won an AfroBasket [Women] title," said the MVP from AfroBasket Women 2003.
"It has been a remarkable feat winning so many individual titles, but I would have changed all of them for an AfroBasket [Women] title."
On two occasions, in 2003 and 2013, Mozambique came close to winning their first-ever continental title, but finished as runners-up on both occasions.
I have reached the point in my national team career that I am exhausted. - Ngulela.
Over the course of the past few months, Ngulela has split her time playing and coaching local club Costa do Sol. She has reached a point in her life where she needs to define priorities.
"There is an incompatibility with my work [IT engineering] and maybe it is time to focus on my family life," she explained.
As well as playing in five editions of AfroBasket Women (2003, 2007, 2011, 2013 and 2015), Ngulela also featured at the 2012 FIBA Women's Olympic Qualifying Tournament and the 2014 FIBA Women's World Championship.
Now, she says, is the time to give younger players a chance.
"Prior to the tournament, few expected us to reach the Quarter-Finals because of the first-timers in the team, but facing big teams the way we did in Yaounde, I think the future of the team is bright," she enthused.
"I wish the new generation continues to work even harder because anything is possible."
By: FIBA.com
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