Jump to content

Awak Kuier

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

Awak Kuier
Kuier with Galatasaray in 2026
No. 34 – Galatasaray
PositionForward
LeagueTurkish Super League
EuroLeague Women
WNBA
Personal information
Born (2001-08-19) 19 August 2001 (age 25)
Cairo, Egypt
Listed height
6 ft 6 in (1.98 m)
Listed weight
168 lb (76 kg)
Career information
High schoolMÀkelÀnrinne Upper Secondary School
(Helsinki, Finland)
2021: 1st round, 2nd overall pick
Drafted byDallas Wings
Career history
2016–2017Peli-Karhut [fi]
2017–2020HBA-MĂ€rsky
2020–2022Virtus Eirene Ragusa [it]
2021–2023Dallas Wings
2022–2025Reyer Venezia
2025–presentGalatasaray
2026–presentDallas Wings
Career highlights
Stats at Basketball Reference Edit this at Wikidata
Medals
Basketball
Representing  Finland
FIBA Under-18 European Division B Championship
Gold medal – first place2019 North MacedoniaTeam
FIBA Under-20 European Division B Championship
Silver medal – second place2019 KosovoTeam

Awak Sabit Bior Kuier (born 19 August 2001)[1][2] is a Finnish professional basketball player who plays for the Dallas Wings of the Women's National Basketball Association (WNBA) and for Galatasaray in the Turkish Women's Basketball Super League and in the EuroLeague Women.[3][4][5][6] She competes internationally for the Finnish national team. Selected by the Wings with the second overall pick in the 2021 WNBA draft, she was the second Finnish player in the history of the league after Taru Tuukkanen [fi] to be drafted, and she became the first Finnish player to play in the WNBA in May 2021.[7]

Career

[edit]

Peli-Karhut (2016–2017)

[edit]

Growing up in the city of Kotka, Kuier was discovered for basketball by a neighbour at age 10, when she stood already 180 cm tall. The man contacted Mikko Kokkola, who was coaching basketball at the local Peli-Karhut [fi], and Kokkola invited her to practice.[8] Kuier joined the club. She was named the U16-league Player of the Season in 2015–16. She debuted in top-tier Naisten Korisliiga with PeKa first team in the 2016–17 season.[9] At the age of 14, a video of her dunking went viral online.

HBA-MĂ€rsky (2017–2020)

[edit]

In 2017, at the age of 16, she joined the Helsinki Basketball Academy team HBA-MĂ€rsky.[10] Kuier played in Naisten Korisliiga with HBA team, and was named the Most Improved Player in the league in 2019. She was also named the league's Player of the Month in January 2020.[11]

Virtus Eirene Ragusa (2020–2022)

[edit]

Declining offers from American universities, she signed a professional contract with a Lega Basket Femminile (LBF) team Virtus Eirene Ragusa [it] (Passalacqua Ragusa) in 2020.[12]

Dallas Wings (2021–2023)

[edit]
Kuier with the Dallas Wings in 2021.

Selected second overall in the 2021 WNBA draft by the Dallas Wings, she was the first non-American player since Australia's Liz Cambage in 2011 to be selected in the first five picks of the draft.[13] After missing the first few games of the 2021 season, she made her debut for the Wings on 27 May, scoring a point, a rebound, and an assist in seven minutes of game time in a 101–95 loss to the Atlanta Dream.[14] In addition to her speed and resilience, Kuier's features also include an exceptionally large wingspan of about seven feet.[15] On 10 June 2022, in a game against the Seattle Storm, Kuier became the eighth woman in WNBA history to dunk a basketball.[16]

On 22 January 2024, Kuier announced that she would skip the 2024 WNBA season.[3] This is due to overlapping seasons between Italy and the United States, and the strict change in WNBA rules concerning absences related to playing in Europe.[17][18] Kuier has stated that her dream is to compete in the EuroLeague Women.

In April 2026, Kuier signed a one-year deal with the Wings ahead of the 2026 WNBA season.[19]

Reyer Venezia (2022–2025)

[edit]

Since June 2022, Kuier has also played for Italian team Reyer Venezia during winter seasons in Europe, competing in Lega Basket Femminile and EuroCup.

In May 2024, Kuier helped Reyer Venezia to win the Italian championship title. She was also named the Finals MVP with her 24-point performance in the decisive third final match.[20] The team also advanced to the semi-finals of the EuroCup. In July 2024, Kuier extended her contract with Venezia.[21][22][23] In September, she was named the Best Foreign Player in the Italian league.[24]

On 10 October 2024, Kuier made her debut in the EuroLeague for Venezia, recording 14 points, six rebounds, three assists and two blocks in an 80–59 win over Hungarian UNI GyƑr.[25][26]

Galatasaray (2025–)

[edit]

On 4 June 2025, she signed with Galatasaray of the Turkish Women's Basketball Super League (TKBL).[27]

She extended her contract with Galatasaray for one year on 7 July 2026.[28]

International career

[edit]

She represented Finland at the 2019 U18 B FIBA Women's European Championship tournament, winning the championship and being named tournament MVP. She was then named to the All-Star Five at the 2019 U20 B FIBA Women's European Championship, helping Finland to a second-place finish. Since 2019, she has represented Finland senior national team.[29]

WNBA career statistics

[edit]

Regular season

[edit]
Year Team GP GS MPG FG% 3P% FT% RPG APG SPG BPG TO PPG
2021 Dallas 1608.9.308.167.7862.4.6.3.81.02.4
2022 Dallas 33012.6.395.190.6132.5.9.4.9.62.8
2023 Dallas 37410.8.396.087.7782.5.5.2.6.62.6
2026 Dallas 412618.6.508.390.7143.91.0.61.81.06.3
Career 4 years, 1 team 1273013.6.440.285.7113.0.8.41.1.83.8

Postseason

[edit]
Year Team GP GS MPG FG% 3P% FT% RPG APG SPG BPG TO PPG
2021 Dallas 108.0.000——3.0.0.0.01.0.0
2022 Dallas 305.0.000.000—1.7.0.0.7.0.0
2023 Dallas 5010.4.643.286.0001.4.2.6.8.84.0
2026 Dallas 3327.3.467.1431.0004.0.7.01.31.35.3
Career 4 years, 1 team 12313.1.485.176.3332.3.3.3.8.83.0

Career statistics

[edit]

EuroLeague

[edit]
Year Team GP GS MPG FG% 3P% FT% RPG APG SPG BPG TO PPG
2024–25 Umana Reyer Venezia 230.1.522.273.3335.02.51.51.52.514.0

EuroCup

[edit]
Year Team GP GS MPG FG% 3P% FT% RPG APG SPG BPG TO PPG
2022–23 Umana Reyer Venezia 1427.4.508.333.6055.11.91.11.52.412.4
2023–24 Umana Reyer Venezia 1221.5.400.222.7374.41.7.81.51.58.7

Personal life

[edit]

She was born in Cairo, Egypt and is of South Sudanese origin.[2] She moved to Finland as a refugee with her family when she was two years old,[30] first settling in the city of Kotka.[31] Today, her family has settled in the coastal town of Uusikaupunki and she holds dual Finnish and Egyptian citizenship.[32][33] She speaks Italian, Arabic, Finnish, and English.[34] Kuier has four older brothers and her parents are Jehovah's Witnesses.[35][2] Kuier and her family are close friends with Federiko Federiko and his family, who share a similar background.[36][37]

References

[edit]
  1. ↑ Kuier Awak Sabit Bior, legabasketfemminile.it
  2. 1 2 3 Kemppainen, Jouni K. (25 September 2022). "Aina pÀÀtÀ pidempi". Helsingin Sanomat (in Finnish). Retrieved 19 April 2023.
  3. 1 2 "Dallas Wings forward Awak Kuier will forgo 2024 WNBA season". dallasnews.com. The Dallas Morning News. 22 January 2024. Retrieved 19 June 2024.
  4. ↑ "WNBA mock draft 2021, version 2.0: Texas' Collier projected to go No. 1". ESPN.com. 21 February 2021.
  5. ↑ "International prospects for the 2021 WNBA draft". FIBA.basketball.
  6. ↑ Awak Kuier teki sopimuksen uuteen italialaisseuraan: "Halusin kovempaan liigaan", Yle, Ossi Saarinen, 12 June 2022
  7. ↑ "Awak Kuier set for historic basketball debut". Yle Uutiset.
  8. ↑ "Kuier celebrates with cake after historic WNBA pick". YLE. 16 April 2021. Retrieved 26 March 2023.
  9. ↑ Awak Kuier, basketi.fi
  10. ↑ Hurd, Sean (13 April 2021). "'The sky's the limit': The promising WNBA future of Awak Kuier".
  11. ↑ HBA-MĂ€rskyn Awak Kuier on Naisten Korisliigan tammikuun pelaaja, basket.fi, 5 February 2020
  12. ↑ "How Wings' draft pick Awak Kuier, a teenager from Finland, grew into a one-of-kind prospect". Dallas News. 23 April 2021.
  13. ↑ "Kuier celebrates with cake after historic WNBA pick". Yle Uutiset.
  14. ↑ "Wings defense crumples in loss to Dream as rookie Awak Kuier fulfills her dream in WNBA debut". Dallas News. 28 May 2021.
  15. ↑ YLE: Awak Kuierin poikkeuksellinen ominaisuus herĂ€ttÀÀ ihastusta amerikkalaislapsissa – suomalaista ylistetÀÀn Dallasissa, vaikka kausi on ollut haastava (in Finnish)
  16. ↑ "'Amazing' in-game dunk has Dallas Wings forward Awak Kuier's confidence on the rise". Dallas News. 23 June 2022. Retrieved 4 March 2025.
  17. ↑ Awak Kuier voi joutua tekemÀÀn pian kovan ratkaisun WNBA:sta – Suomen uusi pÀÀvalmentaja nĂ€kee tilanteessa hyvÀÀkin, Yle, 6 November 2023
  18. ↑ MitĂ€ tapahtui kohutun ja hehkutetun Awak Kuierin WNBA-unelmalle? – ”LĂ€pilyönnin tekeminen Amerikassa vaikeaa jatkossakin”, Apu, apu.fi, 6 May 2024
  19. ↑ "Center Awak Kuier set to return to Dallas Wings for 2026 WNBA season". Dallas News. 11 April 2026. Retrieved 29 October 2026.
  20. ↑ IlmiömĂ€inen Awak Kuier johdatti Venezian koripallomestaruuteen – suomalaistĂ€hti palkittiin finaalisarjan parhaana, Yle, 22 May 2024
  21. ↑ Awak Kuier jatkosopimukseen mestariseuran kanssa, Yle, 4 July 2024
  22. ↑ KUIER RINNOVA IL CONTRATTO CON L’UMANA REYER, reyer.it, 3 July 2024
  23. ↑ Italian finaalien MVP Awak Kuier jatkosopimukseen Reyer Venezian kanssa, basket.fi, 3 July 2024
  24. ↑ Awak Kuierille merkittĂ€vĂ€ kunnianosoitus, mtvuutiset.fi, MTV Oy, 16 September 2024
  25. ↑ Awak Kuier hĂ€ikĂ€isi Euroliiga-debyytissÀÀn, basket.fi, 11 October 2024
  26. ↑ Awak Kuier ja Reyer Venezia jatkavat voittojen tiellĂ€ Euroliigassa, basket.fi, 18 October 2024
  27. ↑ "Awak Kuier Galatasaray ÇağdaƟ Faktoring'de!". Galatasaray S.K. 4 June 2025. Retrieved 4 June 2025.
  28. ↑ "Awak Kuier'in sözleƟmesi uzatıldı". Galatasaray S.K. 7 July 2026. Retrieved 7 July 2026.
  29. ↑ Awak Kuier profile, FIBA
  30. ↑ Knuuttila, Mikko (5 December 2019). "Suomen koripallon superlupaus on syntynyt Kairossa – "ItsenĂ€isyyspĂ€ivĂ€ tuo ihmiset yhteen"". Ilta-Sanomat (in Finnish). Retrieved 6 March 2021.
  31. ↑ KotkalaislĂ€htöinen Awak Kuier varattiin WNBA:han historiallisesti toisella varausvuorolla – Tie vie nyt Dallasiin – Kymen Sanomat (in Finnish)
  32. ↑ YLE: SudanilaislĂ€htöinen Kuierin perhe teki kaikkensa tyttĂ€ren koripallouran eteen – varaus huippusarjaan herkisti ylpeĂ€t vanhemmat ja pyyhki vaikeat ajat mielestĂ€ (in Finnish)
  33. ↑ "Five Things to Know About Awak Kuier". WNBA.com - Official Site of the WNBA.
  34. ↑ Pickman, Ben. "Awak Kuier Is Ready to Soar in the WNBA". Sports Illustrated.
  35. ↑ Saarikoski, Saska (2019). "TĂ€ssĂ€ lepÀÀ tĂ€hti". Helsingin Sanomien Kuukausiliite (in Finnish) (6). Helsingin Sanomat: 22–29.
  36. ↑ Painajainen vaatekaupan myyjĂ€lle – Federiko Federikon kehossa on piirre, joka on todellinen harvinaisuus, Iltalehti, 4 August 2023
  37. ↑ Ӏiti pakotti lopettamaan jalkapallon” – SusijengissĂ€ kasvaa uusi tĂ€htipelaaja, Helsingin Sanomat, 22 May 2023
[edit]
Retrieved from "https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Awak_Kuier&oldid=1382576811"