Temi Fagbenle is known for her basketball prowess, but the former Indiana Fever center is also one of 12 children — one of whom is OT Fagbenle, one of the stars of the Hulul original series The Handmaid's Tale. OT plays Luke, the husband of Jane Osborne (Elizabeth Moss).
Temi's Hollywood connection was discussed in a lengthy piece by The Athletic about her entire family. Apart from OT, several of Temi's other siblings are also in the entertainment industry. Her brothers Luti and Dapo are music producers and directors who have worked with artists including Beyoncé and Drake. Her brother Tito is an artist, and her sister Torera is a poet.
Though 39 years separate the oldest sibling from the youngest, Temi told the outlet that the family manages to be close. "We’re very supportive of each other," she said. "I think there’s an element of competition as well because there’s so many of us that we are so competitive in anything we do, whether it’s debating, whether it’s Monopoly, whether it’s basketball. Anything, there has to be a winner. But there’s also love as well in there, so it’s kind of a very interesting balance."
Sports were a big part of Temi's life at home while growing up
It might surprise some fans to learn that Temi didn't always plan to play basketball. As she explained to The Athletic, tennis was her first passion and she always imagined playing the sport professionally as an adult. But she had a massive growth spurt and was 6'2" at age 14, so all of the sudden basketball made a lot more sense.
Of all her siblings, Dapo had the most experience in the sport before Temi began to play. At 6'9", he played at the college level at Campbell University and Bellarmine University, and Luti also played.
"Basketball’s not a big thing in the UK at all, but she had basketball pedigree because Daps had already played college ball," Luti said. "I had already played internationally as a basketball player. It’s in the family."
Temi represented Great Britain at the 2012 Olympics
Temi's basketball dominance landed her a spot on the 2012 Olympic Team representing Great Britain. "We are Nigerians, but there is no doubt that her career began on the British circuit," her sister Torera told The Athletic. "Tem’s playing in the Games was a reflection of her dedication to perfection, and a reflection of her talent. And, of course, it was unashamedly cool to be able to say that my sister was in the Olympics."
The team didn't have the best Olympics performance, but Temi started three games and averaged 20 minutes a game — an impressive feat for a 19-year-old.
You can read the entire article by The Athletic here.