Women's Fastbreak On SI

Former Fever Player Lands Massive Hollywood Movie Acting Role

A member of the 2024 Indiana Fever has been cast in a blockbuster Hollywood movie.
Grant Young|
Sep 15, 2024; Indianapolis, Indiana, USA; Indiana Fever center Temi Fagbenle (14) smiles after a foul called on her at Gainbridge Fieldhouse. Mandatory Credit: Grace Hollars/USA TODAY Network via Imagn Images
Sep 15, 2024; Indianapolis, Indiana, USA; Indiana Fever center Temi Fagbenle (14) smiles after a foul called on her at Gainbridge Fieldhouse. Mandatory Credit: Grace Hollars/USA TODAY Network via Imagn Images | Grace Hollars/USA TODAY Network via Imagn Images

Temi Fagbenle has had an extremely busy and exciting offseason.

The excitement began in December, when she was selected by the Golden State Valkyries in their WNBA Expansion Draft after spending the 2024 season with the Indiana Fever. Prior to that, Fagbenle hadn't played in the WNBA since her time with the Minnesota Lynx in 2019.

But Fagbenle's big offseason isn't limited to the basketball world. While she's still playing for the Beşiktaş Women's Basketball Team in the Turkish Super League this offseason, news broke on March 7 that she had landed a massive acting role for a Hollywood blockbuster film.

According to a March 7 article from Deadline, "Paramount Pictures’ Children of Blood and Bone, based on the NY Times bestselling novel of the same name by Tomi Adeyemi, rounds out its cast with Saniyya Sidney (Fences), Zackary Momoh (Harriet), Richard Mofe-Damijo (Namaste Wahala), Ayra Starr, Pamilerin Ayodeji (Mikolo), Shamz Garuba (Crime and Justice Lagos), Kola Bodunde (Shadow) and Temi Fagbenle."

In addition to these names, A-list actors like Damson Idris, Viola Davis, Cynthia Erivo, and Idris Elba have been cast for this movie, which is set to release in January 2027.

Tomi Adeyemi, whose book is the source of this movie adaptation, confirmed this with an X post that introduced further members of the cast. She said, "WNBA icon and happens to be one of my classmates from Harvard," before showing a photo of Fabgenle from her Instagram.

Given Fever guard Caitlin Clark's global superstardom, one might have assumed that she'd be the first 2024 Indiana Fever player to be cast in a movie. But Fagbenle now has her beat.

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Grant Young
GRANT YOUNG

Grant Young covers Women’s Basketball, the New York Yankees, and the New York Mets for Sports Illustrated’s ‘On SI’ sites. He holds an MFA degree in creative writing from the University of San Francisco (USF), where he also graduated with a Bachelor’s Degree in Marketing and played on USF’s Division I baseball team for five years. However, he now prefers Angel Reese to Angels in the Outfield.

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