A torn ACL has sidelined freshman guard Fiona Diomande for the season, but it hasn’t stopped her from meeting her Wichita State teammates.
Arriving in mid-July from Paris, Diomande didn’t have to search far to find connections to home thanks to French-speaking teammates Aicha Ndour and Maimouna Sissoko.
“I was connected with (Aicha),” Diomande said. “The feeling was good and, actually, (she) is like a sister (to me). So it’s very good to talk in French sometimes because it’s my first language.”
Head women’s basketball coach Terry Nooner was impressed by game footage and highlight videos of Diomande and decided to contact her. She had also won a championship in Ligue Féminine 2 — a second-division women’s basketball league — as a member of Chartres.
Ndour believes that Diomande will be able to contribute by the time she is on the court.
“She’s a strong girl, so she can go to the bucket easily, and defensively, she brings a lot to the table,” Ndour said.
In their free time, you might see Diomande and Ndour scrolling through TikTok.
“So we love this French thing that we have; it’s called ‘refs,’” Ndour said. “So whenever I make a joke about TikTok, she always gets it because she’s always on TikTok. So we get each other.”
Diomande is roommates with Sissoko, who spoke fondly of her.
“She’s like a little sister,” Sissoko said. “She’s here for you anytime you want. She is a really nice person.”
Ndour noted that Diomande has been pushed out of her comfort zone, as she’s a bit shy.
“She’s very hard-working, and she listens to everybody,” Ndour said. “She’s just an underdog. That’s what I like.”
Diomande’s stepfather, Jacques, describes her as an all-around player.
“She is very aggressive to the basket, very strong on defense,” Jacques said. “She’s a sharpshooter.”
While Diomande will be out on a medical redshirt this year, her teammates are more than willing to show her the sights, tastes and sounds of the city.
“The culture is really different,” Diomande said. “With the distance from my family, sometimes it’s hard. But I like this new culture, this new challenge for my life. I think it’s a great opportunity to come here and discover a new challenge.
“I’m out for the season, but it’s a process to come back stronger and just trust the process.”
