Aniss Tagayi, U18 European Champion, leaves BLMA for Ball State in NCAA

Aniss Tagayi (1.82m, 18 years old), BLMA’s young talent born in 2006, continues her meteoric rise. After a successful season with Lattes-Montpellier’s youth team and several appearances with the professional team in EuroCup, the Hérault native has decided to continue her development in the United States. She will join Ball State University in NCAA in fall 2025.

Where winners travel 4,000 miles to win 🏆

Name: Aniss
📍Montpellier, France

Welcome to the top of the ladder.#ChirpChirp pic.twitter.com/7OvmdgLK5q

— Ball State Women’s Basketball (@BallStateWBB) April 3, 2025

A structured and promising path

Born July 26, 2006, in Montpellier, Aniss Tagayi started basketball at FOP Pézenas at age 10, where her athletic abilities and « intuitive basketball » had already made an impression, under coach Joëlle Schaeffer. Quickly noticed, she joined BLMA’s talented 2006 generation in U13, played up in U15 Regional, then joined the Occitanie Regional Training Center in Montpellier at age 13. Three years later, she joined BLMA’s youth academy.

In 2023-2024, she had a remarkable season: U18 French Cup finalist, French youth champion under coach Damien Leroux, and most notably U18 European Champion with Team France (averaging 5 points, 2.3 rebounds and 1.7 assists). She also made her professional debut with BLMA, appearing in five league games and playing in the EuroCup group stage.

A new adventure at Ball State

Ball State University, located in Muncie, Indiana, has officially announced her arrival for the 2025-2026 season. Coach Brady Sallee expressed great enthusiasm about welcoming a player with European experience: « Aniss is a major addition to our program. She is an elite athlete capable of impacting the game on both ends of the floor. Her experience at the highest European level will help her make an immediate impact here. »

At Ball State, Aniss Tagayi will join another promising recruit, American Brooke Winchester. Together, they will form an ambitious new generation for the Cardinals, who look forward to benefiting from the Hérault native’s talent and intensity.