Maria Gakdeng recorded a ton of outstanding performances during her time with the UNC women's basketball program.
Believe it or not, her latest outing, one that came in the 2025 Women's AfroBasket, might just be her all-time best.
Just wait until you see this stat line!
𝐎𝐇 𝐌𝐘 🤯
— Carolina Women's Basketball (@uncwbb) July 30, 2025
Maria's putting on a show for South Sudan at the 2025 Women's AfroBasket.
Against Egypt -
19 points, 24 rebounds, 2 blocks
Catch Ri back in action tomorrow in the quarterfinals against Uganda. pic.twitter.com/Dm9yCmy8Al
Competing for South Sudan, Gakdeng put together a stat line that looks like video game numbers. The former Tar Heel scored 19 points, hauled in 24 (yes, this is not a typo!) rebounds while adding two blocks in her team's victory over Egypt.
It's pretty safe to say that Egypt had NO answers for Gakdeng whatsoever!
Gakdeng will look to continue her success in the quarterfinals on Thursday, as South Sudan will battle against Uganda. While she will start up her professional basketball career this upcoming season in Hungary, these types of performances just confirm what UNC women's basketball fans have known for quite some time.
Maria Gakdeng is a PRO.
A brief taste of WNBA training camp wasn't enough for Gakdeng, a player who is worthy of a roster spot in the league. WNBA roster restrictions have impacted a handful of former Tar Heels this offseason, but hopefully that will change when the league begins to expand over the next few years.
When the time comes, Gakdeng should rightfully have a strong case to earn a spot with a WNBA squad. Until then, it's certain that she'll continue to compete and leave it all out on the floor every time she has the opportunity to step on the court.