In Vogue Scandinavia's October-November issue we explored a trio of talented athletes from the Nordics, here Awak Kuier tells us what it's like to be the first ever Finnish woman to play in the WNBA
On April 15th this year, 20-year-old Awak Kuier made basketball history. Selected by the Dallas Wings, she was the second draft pick in the Women’s National Basketball Association – the first Finnish player ever to be drafted into the WNBA.
Wearing a white, off-the-shoulder jumpsuit with cape sleeves billowing around her toned arms, she celebrated with her teammates on Sicilian team Passalacqua Ragusa. While most players in the top five of the draft come from an American college background, here was a Finnish anomaly.
A utility player, Awak Kuier can cover multiple positions on the court. Photo: @awak.kuier
Born to South Sudanese parents in Cairo, Kuier moved to Finland with her family as refugees at the age of two, and settled in Kotka, east of Helsinki. The city is one of Finland’s few hotbeds for hoops, with more than 30 outdoor courts and three indoor basketball arenas. The sport was first introduced to the area in the 1940s, with local teams historically excelling in domestic competitions.
In Kotka, the future utility player came across a highlights reel of basketball icon Candace Parker on YouTube. “She was one of the first professional players I saw, and I admired how she was able to do multiple things.” The discovery led Kuier to join the only girls’ basketball club in town. “At the start, everyone was always telling me what to do. I played the five [also known as the centre, a defensive position that plays close to the basket and scores most of their points off rebounds] because I was tall. But seeing Candace, how she was tall yet still dribbled and shot the ball… I was mesmerised by it, and I knew I wanted to be the same way.” Kuier, who admits she can be hard-headed, rebelled against her assigned role, trying new things on the court. At 14, a video of her dunking went viral.
Since then, she has become a mainstay of the Finnish national team. She represented Finland at the 2019 under-18 FIBA Women's European Championship; her team won the tournament as Kuier was named MVP (mostvaluable player), before going on to play professionally in southern Italy. “I love pasta, so it was a great fit,” she laughs.
The WNBA is a very different game to the European leagues, however, “European basketball is much more focused on the team, whereas in the US it’s more about the individual player,” she says. “All of the college players used to be the star on their team, so when they come to the WNBA, they want to be a star there. Everybody is very competitive.”
Kuier in action, playing for the Finnish national team. . Photo: (@awak.kuier)
Different team dynamics and player styles aren’t the only things that have changed with her move Stateside. “I’m not used to people talking to me in the grocery store,” she says. As a dark-skinned woman of African descent, Kuier feels that she is sometimes pigeonholed in the US. “It’s strange because everyone assumes I’ve moved over from Africa. They can tell that I’m not Afro-American, but no one expects me to be from Finland. They’re very surprised whenever I start speaking Finnish.”
Kuier has also started turning her entrances to basketball arenas into fashion shows, and has discovered in Dallas that her sense of style is distinctively European. "People keep telling me that where I’m from is obvious from how I dress.” Much like the majority of her fellow generation, she is prone to bucket hats and Y2K fashion. “I like two-pieces and matching sets,” she says. “I like going shopping and putting together outfits for the pre-game runway. I think all athletes like to dress up when we get the chance.”
Even though she has already beaten the buzzer in making basketball history, Awak Kuier seems well set to slam-dunk all expectations – and look stylish in the process.