Game Details: Wednesday, Jan. 29, Tampa, Fla., 7 p.m.
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By Joey Johnston
She comes from the Democratic Republic of the Congo, a Central African nation that spurs some colorful imagery. But South Florida women’s basketball forward L’or Mputu sets you straight.
“They think there are lions outside my door,’’ Mputu said with a smile. “There are lions … but far away from my city.’’
Mputu (pronounced: poo-too) is a long way from home — 6,842 miles to be exact. It’s about a 32-hour journey by plane to reach her town of Kinshasa, a sprawling modern capital city of more than 17-million people, just south of the equator.
At age 15, she departed her familiar surroundings for the United States, searching for a better life through basketball. She attended high school in Washington and Atlanta, then became a second-team junior-college All-American at Eastern Florida State College before arriving to the Bulls.
After a junior season of learning at the Division I level, it’s now coming together nicely for Mputu (6-foot-2), who’s averaging 9.5 points and 7.1 rebounds while shooting 63.2-percent from the floor. She has three double-doubles and was just a few buckets/rebounds away from five others.
“I think the best days are ahead,” Mputu said.
That’s good news for the Bulls (13-8, 6-2 American Athletic Conference), who face their biggest week of the season. On its Yuengling Center home court, USF gets a shot at the two AAC front-runners — the UTSA Roadrunners (17-2, 8-0) on Wednesday night and the North Texas Mean Green (15-5, 7-1) on Saturday night.
Mputu figures to be in the center of it all. She was a driving force in Saturday’s 63-60 win at East Carolina, when the Bulls rallied from a 10-point deficit midway through the fourth quarter. Mputu had 14 points and nine rebounds to keep the Bulls afloat. On USF’s final possession, she helped to seal off the interior, allowing Vittoria Blasigh to get an inbounds pass with 4.7 seconds remaining and drive for the game-winning layup.
“L’or has just been relentless on the boards and it’s really helping us a lot,’’ said Bulls guard Sammie Puisis, the team’s leading scorer at 14.7 points per game. “I don’t think there’s ever a time when she’s not going and getting a rebound.
“She has great hands and she’s very active. Offensively, she’s staying inside of what she does really well — getting put-backs, sealing on the block, rim runs. She gives us incredible effort.’’
Mputu credits her improvement to rigorous summer workouts and the example set by former USF center Dulcy Fankam Mendjiadeu, a second-round WNBA draft pick in 2023 who was AAC Co-Player of the Year for the Bulls. As a senior, Fankam Mendjiadeu averaged 16.5 points and 12.3 rebounds, while compiling 24 double-doubles.
“Dulcy is so strong, so smart and so determined,’’ Mputu said. “Just being around her set an example for me. She worked very hard to achieve her goals, and that is what I want to do as well.’’
Head Coach Jose Fernandez said Mputu has worked her way into a prominent role.
“The biggest development for L’or has been the investment she has made in her body and her conditioning level,’’ Fernandez said. “The way she eats, the way she sleeps, the way she uses her time in the gym outside of practice … that’s her biggest improvement.
“She watched Dulcy all summer and saw how a pro works. She’d see Dulcy work out in the morning, work out in the afternoon, come back to shoot at night … and that made an impression. If you work hard, good things tend to happen for you. Plus, when you have a good attitude and good presence about yourself, when all your teammates enjoy being around you, that makes it even better. L’or has come up big for us. She’s talented.’’
On and off the court.
Mputu, 23, is an artist. Since she was a little girl, Mputu has enjoyed drawing people. She’s good at it, noticing the intricate details and transferring it to the paper or canvas. She’s majoring in public relations/advertising and could see herself one day working on an ad campaign, finding just the right colors, logos and artwork designs to deliver a message.
“Drawing is one of the ways I can express myself,’’ Mputu said. “When I first got to this country, I was alone and it affected me. So putting things on the paper helped me gain confidence and learn how to build a new life for myself.’’
Mputu hasn’t seen her mother, Charlotte Evoloko Bokele, in eight years. She has learned independence, but still misses her family, including her brother, Ritchie, who lives in France.
Mputu’s mother was once a notable basketball player and a member of the Congolese national team. She loves to see highlights of her daughter, so she can enjoy (and occasionally critique). The separation from family has been difficult and lonely at times, but Mputu said “it’s part of the process’’ that will allow her to reach her life’s goals.
Her unusual first name — L’or (which translates to “gold’’ in English — was conceived by her father, a man she only knows through photographs and the memories of others. When Mputu was eight months old, her father passed away. She’s comforted in knowing he always wanted the best for her.
“Family is important,’’ Mputu said. “I want to make my mother and my whole family proud. I feel like I am on the right track. I just need to keep working hard.’’
In the classroom and on the court, Mputu has done just that, becoming a mature young woman and a great teammate. The statistics tell a great story. But Mputu also brings some intangibles and an unmistakable emerging quality that will always serve her well.
She has the heart of a lion.
PROMOTIONS
Wednesday night is Era’s Night: South Florida’s Version. There will be a Pregame Party from 4:45 PM to 7:00 PM outside of Gate D! Enjoy a gaming truck featuring Just Dance and a poster design station where you can unleash your creativity. During the game, take part in the fun with a 250 light stick student giveaway, a Taylor Swift Lookalike Contest, and the chance to create Taylor Swift-themed bracelets with the Little Words Project. Groove to music featuring hits by today’s biggest pop stars, snap photos at the balloon backdrop with fun props, and stop by the bookstore to grab the exclusive “In My Bulls Era” shirt. Don’t miss this unforgettable event!
TICKETS
Fans can purchase women’s basketball tickets by calling 1-800-GoBulls or at USFBullsTix.com.
ABOUT SOUTH FLORIDA WOMEN’S BASKETBALL
South Florida women’s basketball has made 18 postseason tournament appearances and had nine NCAA Tournament berths in head coach Jose Fernandez’s 25 seasons. The all-time winningest coach in program history, Fernandez has guided the Bulls to 11 20-win seasons, two WNIT final four appearances, the 2008-09 WNIT championship, has won over 450 career games, and is the all-time wins leader in the American Athletic Conference.
For complete coverage of USF women’s basketball, follow the Bulls on social media (Twitter | Facebook | Instagram).
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