WNBA Star, Imani McGee-Stafford is in Ghana as part of a program with the Impact Youth Foundation, where she’s dedicating time giving back to youth through various basketball projects. She arrived in Ghana on 16th May and will be in the country through 26th May 2021.
McGee-Stafford has been playing professional basketball in the WNBA since she was drafted in 2016. Her illustrious career has been documented on several media outlets including ESPN, Player’s Tribute, ABC Sports, Indiana Fever, Forbes and Collegiate Women. The 26-year old athlete stands 6-foot-7 inches tall and is no stranger to sports. Her mother is Pamela McGee, former WNBA star who was inducted in the 2012 Hall of Fame and her brother Javel McGee is a three-time NBA Champion. McGee-Stafford is also a writer, poet and mental health advocate with a strong focus on supporting abuse survivors and helping to build confidence in young girls.
She will be discovering Ghana for the first time which means her trip will include exploring the culture, history and heritage of the nation. It’s a lifetime opportunity and a chance to truly connect with the motherland. McGee-Stafford took to her Instagram page to announce her excitement about being in Ghana saying, “The motherland treating me well ya’ll.” She has already visited the Asenema Falls in the rainforest of the Akuapem Hills and is looking forward to seeing more of Ghana.
The athlete is being hosted by the Impact Youth Foundation who are a sports development NGO in Ghana focused on using the game of basketball to mentor young people and help them reach their potential in education and leadership. The organization is especially interested in developing the skills of young women and girls and underprivileged youth.
The work she is doing in helping develop youth in Ghana, is an exemplary way that the diaspora community has been giving back to Ghana. It’s one of the key pillars in the Beyond the Return initiative to encourage finding ways to serve while making a long-lasting impact. She’ll be visiting a basketball camp in the Volta Region and helping to launch the ‘She Shines Project’ at Ghana International School designed to help develop girls in the game of basketball. She’ll also be travelling to Kumasi and conducting the She Shines Basketball Clinic there for young girls.
By Ivy Prosper
