Marine Johannes has been amazing for France, impressing everyone almost every time she plays basketball.
Whether she’s making a difficult, one-legged 3-pointer or delivering a perfect no-look pass for an easy basket, France’s star guard has been fantastic so far in the women’s Olympic basketball tournament.
She helped France reach the medal round in Paris, scoring 24 points in the quarterfinal win over Germany on Wednesday.
“It never gets old, never gets old,” said French teammate Gabby Williams about watching Johannes play. “Even though I’ve seen it so many times. I know she’s capable and I’m the first one to tell her she’s capable of it. Still, like, you don’t believe it when you see it.”
Johannes and France seem to be playing their best when they’re having fun. “We were just happy, we knew that we could do something special today,” she said.
Although Johannes is flashy on the court, she is quite shy off the court. She comes from a small town of less than 750 people in northern France.
“I know my family and friends were out here,” Johannes said. “It’s something special here in Paris.”
WNBA fans know about the 29-year-old Johannes’ skills. She played well for the New York Liberty the last few seasons since returning to the team in 2022. She helped them win the Commissioner’s Cup last year.
Johannes couldn’t play this year because of the league’s rule that required veteran players to return to the U.S. for training camp or be suspended for the season. She plans to be in New York next year. “I hope so,” she said with a smile.
