Golden State signed Laeticia Amihere on a waiver claim in February of this year. The move is smart — Amihere, who hails from Canada, has tremendous overseas experience including two Olympic appearances in 2020 and 2024. She was also drafted by the Atlanta Dream as the 8th overall pick in the 2023 WNBA Draft and played 38 games across two seasons for the team.
Amihere's waiver claim isn't necessarily a promise that she will have a spot on the team's roster this year, but it does mean that the Valyries are seriously interested in having her play. Assuming they do, here's what fans can look forward to.
Laeticia Amihere is a wildly versatile player who loves to hoop
One of Amihere's greatest strengths on the court is her versatility as an athlete. That was likely at the forefront of the Dream's considerations when they drafted her in the first round, and it was something that her former coach at South Carolina commented on in the NCAA tournament before the WNBA Draft.
"I’ve never coached anybody that comes with that much determination," Staley told Sports Illustrated. "She really didn’t care—put her anywhere."
Staley's words are certainly true. At 6'4", Amihere could be a defensive powerhouse and she played all over the floor throughout her collegiate career. Staley would often rotate Amihere on the court depending on what each game needed from her, and she always rose to the occasion.
Her international experience is impressive
Amihere is a major part of the Canadian National Team, where she was part of the 2020 and 2024 Olympic teams. She joined the FIBA Americas U16 when she was 15 and contributed 8 points and 10 rebounds as her team cruised to the gold medal. She was also the first Canadian female basketball player to dunk — something she also did at age 15.
She's also part of Afro Ballers, a media platform that connects sports, Africa, and the diaspora. In 2024 she told AU Pro Basketball that her mother and grandmother inspired her to join the platform for events in Ghana. The pair "hosted many events and community outreach events," Amihere explained.
She also joined the platform for her father. "Since its inception in 2021, I’ve hosted various camps in Toronto and Ivory Coast aimed for the underserved as well as underrepresented communities," Amihere continued. "As an attempt to bridge the equity gap. I was once the product of such generosity and it became a debt to repay to the sport. My father being from Ghana, I felt especially connected and inspired to go back home and organize a tournament there to allow them to have opportunities they otherwise wouldn’t have."