WBB Signs Moulayna Johnson Sidi Baba
CORAL GABLES, Fla. – University of Miami head women’s basketball coach Katie Meier announced Wednesday the signing of Moulayna Johnson Sidi Baba to a National Letter of Intent.
A 6-foot guard/forward from Årsta, Sweden, Johnson Sidi Baba is the fourth member of the Hurricanes’ 2019 recruiting class. She joins Yasmeen Chang, Brianna Jackson and Sydnee Roby, who inked with Miami in November.
“MJ is one of the most versatile players in this 2019 class. She plays a multitude of positions and can dominate a game with her scoring, rebounding or her passing,” Meier said. “She is a basketball junkie who really studies the game and loves to learn from watching great players. She has a tremendous maturity and will be ready to shine in big moments.”
In August 2016, at the FIBA U16 Women’s European Championship – Division A, Johnson Sidi Baba averaged 10.9 points per game across her seven outings for Sweden. She also tallied 5.4 rebounds, 1.1 assists and 1.1 steals in her 28.4 minutes per contest in Udine, Italy.
Two years later, in August 2018, Johnson Sidi Baba returned to Udine to again represent her country, this time in the FIBA U18 Women’s European Championship.
She made three appearances in the tournament, averaging 10.7 points, 14.7 rebounds and 1.7 assists in 33.4 minutes per game, logging a double-double in every outing. A 12-point, 18-rebound performance against Ireland highlighted her showing.
Johnson Sidi Baba, who attends Solna Gymnasium, committed to Miami over offers from Baylor, California, Kansas, Marquette and San Francisco. She is a four-star international prospect according to Keil Moore Basketball.
The second Swedish player to sign with Miami during Meier’s tenure, Johnson Sidi Baba joins former All-ACC guard Stefanie Yderstrom, who scored 1,203 points for the Hurricanes from 2009-13.
To keep up with the University of Miami women’s basketball team on social media, follow @CanesWBB on Twitter, Instagram and Facebook.
WHAT THEY’RE SAYING ABOUT MOULAYNA JOHNSON SIDI BABA . . .
Keil Moore, Owner of Keil Moore Basketball: “I think, for Miami, this is another strong international addition. It’s funny, she isn’t necessarily your prototypical international kid. She’s not a prolific 3-point shooter, but she’s a very good attack guard, [in terms of] getting downhill and being aggressive. She brings some of the physical characteristics that Coach Meier has always looked for as far as wing recruits. She’s going to be able to score the ball in transition and attack the rim. She’s a physical kid. When I saw her at U16s and in the summers, she rebounded the ball pretty well for the Sweden teams. She was a high-usage kid for them, a kid that they ran a lot of plays for and relied a lot on to be productive. There were times when she consistently flirted with double-doubles against international competition. So, I think she can bring some of that to Miami, as well. She can be a guard that will defend, score in transition and rebound the ball pretty well.”
Daniel Prince, Founder & Director of Passion Hoops: “MJ is, pound for pound, one of the most electrifying guards anywhere. She can score in bundles and defend multiple positions. She is in the top 10 international players in the 2019 class. The U has garnered a real diamond player who will keep the positive numbers moving.”
