Kenya's KPA beat Burundi's Dynamo 75-68 at WBLA qualifiers; Equity Hawks lose again

Kenya Ports Authority (KPA) beat Burundi's Dynamo 75-68 in Kibaha, Tanzania, on 19 October for their first win at the Zone 5 qualifiers of FIBA's annual Women's Basketball League Africa (WBLA), according to FIBA's results. Equity Hawks, Kenya's other club in the event, lost 71-55 to Burundi's Les Hippos later the same day, their second defeat in two games.

Eight clubs from Burundi, Kenya, Rwanda and Tanzania are playing at the Filbert Bayi Olympafrica Centre from 17 to 24 October. FIBA says the top two will qualify for the 2026 WBLA, which takes place in Cairo from 11 to 20 December.

KPA won the first quarter 25-17, led 41-31 at half-time and 58-47 after three quarters. Dynamo took the last quarter 21-17. Victoria Reynolds had 17 points and 11 rebounds for KPA, after what FIBA's report called "a relatively subdued performance" in their opening game.

The Nairobi broadcaster Capital FM credited Alima Doumbia, whom it described as Ivorian, with 20 points, three rebounds and two assists, and Christine Akinyi with 13. The station called KPA, who are coached by Samuel Ochola, "the Kenyan champions".

KPA had opened on 17 October with a 95-79 defeat by Rwanda Energy Group (REG). REG came back from 15 points down and won the final quarter 35-12. Kayana Traylor scored 37 points for the Rwandan side, and Tonie Morgan had 13 points, 12 assists and seven rebounds for KPA.

Equity Hawks led Les Hippos 33-26 at half-time. The Burundian side won the third quarter 20-9 and the fourth 25-13, and Diaka Berete finished with 17 points and 11 rebounds for them. Lavin Auma Owiti and Betty Kananu scored 30 points between them for Equity, the Kenyan news site Citizen Digital reported.

Equity, coached by Ben Oluoch, began on 18 October with a 91-56 loss to Rwanda's APR and trailed by as many as 42 points. Auma scored 14 points and Taudencia Oluoch 10 in that game, Capital FM reported.

FIBA's group tables put REG top of Group A with three wins from three games. KPA and Tanzania's Fox Divas have one win and one defeat each, and Dynamo have lost all three of their games. In Group B, APR and Les Hippos have won both their games, while Equity and Tanzania's Vijana Queens have lost both. Vijana lost 84-82 to Les Hippos and 115-51 to APR.

At the 2025 qualifiers, held in Nairobi, KPA lost to REG in the semi-finals and beat Les Hippos 89-81 after overtime in the third-place game. APR beat REG 82-68 in the final, and APR, REG and KPA all qualified for that year's WBLA in Cairo.

On 20 October KPA finish their group games against Fox Divas, who beat Dynamo 65-60 and lost 97-74 to REG. KPA beat Fox Divas 81-57 on the opening day of the 2025 qualifiers in Nairobi on 9 November 2025. Equity play Vijana Queens on 20 October, and APR meet Les Hippos. FIBA's schedule follows the group phase with quarter-finals, semi-finals, classification games and a final.