Malian forward Kadidia Maiga has been named Most Valuable Player of the Rwanda Basketball League Playoffs after helping REG Women BBC retain the national championship on Wednesday, August 26. She averaged about 15 points and 11 rebounds per game during the postseason.
The award carries extra weight given her recent injury history. “I come from a long injury. I had surgery on my knee last year,” Maiga said. “There were rehabilitation sessions, training and moments of pain.” She revealed she has undergone three surgeries in three years.
Maiga credited her playoff form to preparation before the postseason, including morning training sessions and conditioning work. She pointed to a one-point semi-final loss to APR as a turning point. “It was a game we could have won, but losing by one point taught us important lessons,” she said. REG responded by winning the third game by 11 points and praised the contribution of teammate Sandra Kantore in the paint.
The forward, who remains under contract with REG until December, expects the team to compete in the Rwanda Cup before targeting Zone Five qualification for the African club championship. She also called for greater visibility for women’s basketball in Rwanda. “When the women play, there are not many people. We need more visibility and more work to make the women’s championship more valued, also for the future of the national team,” she said.
