Aicha Coulibaly knew she’d earned it. She’d turned heads in her WNBA training camp debut with her defense and physicality. And with injuries and absences thinning the Sky’s rotation, they needed a player like her.
Still, when she found out she was starting in the first preseason game — and that her matchup was none other than perennial MVP candidate Alyssa Thomas — she was a little surprised.
“It was exciting to the point where I was tense and had to relax a little bit,” Coulibaly said.
Coach Tyler Marsh pulled her aside before the game and told her she didn’t need to save the world. He just wanted her to be the same player she’d been throughout training camp.
Then she went out and did it. She scored seven points and grabbed two steals in fifteen minutes. She didn’t back down from Thomas, limiting her to one field goal attempt.
“I knew her game a little bit,” Coulibaly said of Thomas. “I knew … I had to take the physicality and be strong. But I know I’m strong too.”
Coulibaly, 24, has pursued this moment relentlessly. She moved from Mali to the U.S at age 15 to play at IMG Academy in Florida. She finished her five-year college career at Texas A&M, where associate head coach Chelsea Newton called her one of the best defenders she’s ever coached.
The Sky drafted Coulibaly No. 22 in the 2025 draft, but an ACL injury earlier that year kept her from joining the team. She spent 14 months rehabbing at Texas A&M, finally able to return to live play this past December.
“I knew I had to get ready for the moment,” Coulibaly said. “I knew the intensity and physicality and effort that I bring to the team would bring a spark.”
The Sky stayed invested throughout Coulibaly’s recovery. She heard from Marsh consistently, and inhaled film of every game the team played.
Still, Marsh admitted he didn’t know exactly what they’d get once she returned.
“For someone that’s coming off an injury and just got her first W action the other day, for what she’s been able to show us in camp, she’s jumped off the page for all of us,” Marsh said.
Now the question is: Is Coulibaly a feel-good training camp story, or can she actually make the team?
Ten roster spots are already locked in for the Sky. That leaves Coulibaly and eight other training camp players fighting for the final two spots.
To make the team, Coulibaly would likely have to beat out a second-year player — either Hailey Van Lith or Maddy Westbeld.
And she’s not the only rookie making a splash. Latasha Lattimore, the Sky’s No. 18 pick in the 2026 draft, had a strong first preseason game. Sydney Taylor, an athletic 3-point shooter, also has Marsh’s attention.
There is, however, more roster flexibility than in years past. In addition to the standard 12 spots, the new collective-bargaining agreement created two development player slots.
These players will be eligible to play in up to 12 games, and receive a weekly stipend plus a pro-rated salary for games played.
Around the league, coaches and players have pushed for development spots as a way to keep young players in the system — players who can develop behind the scenes and be ready when injuries hit.
That setup doesn’t sound so bad to Coulibaly, either.
“Any opportunity is good for me,” Coulibaly said. “This is what I’ve been working for a long time. Just being here today — I’m grateful for it. It’s a crazy experience, a kid coming from Mali not knowing nobody, coming to the U.S. This is a big opportunity for me. No matter what I get, I’m grateful for it.”
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