​STORRS – Gandy Malou-Mamel began playing basketball at 12, but didn’t commit to the sport until several years later. She left Ireland for the United States to chase her dream, and when she arrived at UConn last year as a 6-foot-5 center, she understood there would be a long line of accomplished post players ahead of her. She anticipated spending much of her time honing her game.
Now, after limited action in two games last November, Malou-Mamel feels ready to contribute. When asked last week what people might notice about her, she pointed to her work ethic and her rebounding ability, as well as her desire to win every possession and keep the ball in their offense. She emphasized her strengths in both defensive and offensive rebounding and shot-blocking. “I feel like I have a magnet with the ball. I always want to know where the ball is going, where my teammates are shooting from, so if we don’t grab the first chance, we’ll grab the second,” she said.
This UConn standout among the upperclassmen spent her summer settling in, and that decision appears to be paying dividends. Strength and conditioning have been a focus, and she reports noticeable gains. “I feel much stronger,” she said. “Sometimes the progress isn’t easy to see day by day, but when you review old film you definitely notice it. I see how much less strong I used to be in the paint. Seeing that improvement motivates me to keep growing.”
Malou-Mamel’s background is deeply rooted in a tumultuous journey. Her parents are refugees from the Democratic Republic of the Congo who settled in Ireland, where she was born, making her the oldest of five siblings. She discovered basketball at 12 and moved to the United States at 16 to live with a host family, playing at Gill St. Bernard’s in Gladstone, New Jersey.
“She’s an unbelievable kid,” Gill St. Bernard’s coach Mark Gnapp told mycentraljersey.com in January 2025. “Really special. Really mature. And extremely coachable. A hard worker. She’s the kid who comes along maybe once every decade, or once in your coaching career.” In her senior year, she averaged 17.1 points, 10.2 rebounds, and 2.2 blocks per game.
Arriving in Storrs last year and competing against UConn’s established players was a reality check for Malou-Mamel, even though she understood she’d be entering a higher level of competition. “It was definitely easier to battle with high school players,” she said. “Coming here, I didn’t expect it to be the same, but it’s a shock when you’re not as agile or as dominant as you want to be. So I’ve been working on myself, building what I want to be, and making that happen physically—that’s the blueprint I see: getting stronger and learning to compete against bigger players here.”
As she continues to mature into her role, Malou-Mamel has emerged as a potential cornerstone for the Huskies, with her blend of size, tenacity, and relentless work ethic suggesting she may be just hitting her stride as she eyes a breakout season.