Awak Kuier Is Ready to Soar

One evening late last June, Awak Kuier found herself on court in the Puotila region of Helsinki, Finland, eager to advise a group of more than two dozen young girls. While not much older than the majority of the participants at that night’s basketball camp, which was composed mostly of immigrants, Kuier, then 18, stood out among them.

Standing at 6' 5" with braids that sway as she glides around the court, Kuier (pronounced KU-ear) is tough to miss. Her accomplishments, to those in Finland, are also renowned.

At 16, she debuted with the senior national team, developing into the centerpiece of its roster. And for years, she has garnered fame for the ease with which she skies above the rim on…