The SEC’s Assist Leader, Mama Dembele, is Having a Record Season
When Mama Dembele has the ball at the top of the key this season, her first look is to dribble straight down the lane, often drawing contact and sending herself to the foul line. This aggressive and confident approach by Missouri’s senior guard is what has helped her have a career-record season.
Throughout her four years at Missouri, Dembele has been a staple in the starting lineup for the Tigers. However, Dembele averaged just 3.3, 3.8, and 5.2 points per game over her first three seasons. This season, Dembele has exploded to average 10.0 points per game. Her increased scoring has come in large part because of her improved ability to shoot from deep. During the 2022-2023 season, Dembele only made five three pointers. This season, she has already made 12, and is shooting at 33% from behind the arc.
Along with her increased scoring, the rest of her stat line showcases her expansive versatility on the court. Dembele is averaging 6.5 assists per game, which leads the SEC and puts her at fifth overall in the entire country. She is now fourth all time on the Missouri leaderboard for assists in program history. Her teammates have continually praised her as an exceptional passer and being instrumental in helping them score.
On the defensive side of the ball, Dembele is averaging 3.2 steals per game, which is second in the SEC and tenth in the country. While she might not be the biggest on the court, her agility, footwork, and speed really help Dembele to make an impact on defense, especially in grabbing those steals.
“I feel like I have to set the tone on defense. Everyone looks at me so that's something that I really take pride in,” Dembele said. “On offense I don't really care who scores, I just want to help the team. I feel like probably the energy that I get from defense is also getting me to the offensive side.”
Besides exploding her stats, Dembele has found her voice as a leader this season. As demonstrated by how much she passes the ball around, Dembele is an unselfish teammate. She has used her voice more on the court this season.
“It's been really cool to just see her blossom and grow and for her to be at that point where she understands the impact that she has on this team in so many ways bigger than scoring just with her demeanor and her leadership,” Missouri Head Coach Robin Pingeton said. “I think she feels very comfortable with her voice this year and has just been fantastic for us.”
Dembele puts the team before herself. When she put up a triple double in the Tigers loss to Ole Miss on February 11, Dembele was quick to downplay her accomplishments.
"I gotta be honest, I don't really care because we didn't win," Dembele said. "It's nice on the paper but I didn't get it done out there. I took responsibility in the first half because I didn't set the tone as a leader."
In the game, Dembele finished with 15 points, 11 rebounds and 11 assists. This was the first triple double for a Missouri player since 2011.
Off the basketball court, Dembele is a strong leader in the classroom. The Manlleu, Spain native is fluent in four languages. Dembele, a health science major, has been named to the SEC Academic Honor Roll multiple times and earned the 2023 Arthur Ashe Jr. Sports Scholar Award.
While the Missouri Women’s Basketball team has lost nine straight games and the Tigers are poised to miss the NCAA tournament yet again, the efforts and performances by Dembele this season should not be overlooked. The Tigers will next play on Thursday, when they host the Vanderbilt Commodores for Senior Night.
