Northampton basketball star, 17, has sights set on competing in the Olympics and WNBA
An ambitious basketball star from Northampton, aged 17, has set her sights on representing Great Britain in the Olympics and competing in the Women’s National Basketball Association (WNBA).
Athena Thompson began playing basketball at the age of three and she knew from a very young age that her competitive spirit would help her succeed in the sporting world.
Basketball was the sport she enjoyed the most and being from Spinney Hill, Athena played with Basketball Northants from age seven to 11.
Her dream and goal was always to play in America and she enjoyed being challenged from the start, having played with boys at under 12 level.
Athena has impressively just completed a year of living in the USA, having been awarded a basketball scholarship at a school in Connecticut. She knew this was the challenging next step she needed.
Athena is returning for her junior and senior years in New Jersey before she hopes to complete a four-year degree in the USA to progress her learning even further.
“It was hard at the start,” Athena told the Chronicle & Echo. “My mum coached me until I left for America and I was used to having her next to me on the bench.
“But I’m used to travelling so I adapted well and this was the independence I needed. It’s prepared me for my next steps and helped me make my own decisions and learn from them.”
Athena’s biggest lesson from her time in the USA is the importance of being brave and confident, as it has afforded her many opportunities she would not have had if she did not take the leap.
The 17-year-old recently represented Great Britain at Eurobasket 2025, in which she spent a month travelling to Slovakia, Austria and Lithuania to compete.
Her team finished in sixth place out of 16, and Athena was named the seventh top scorer across the competition. With a high standard of play, Athena is proud of her team’s performance.
Athena has now been selected to be part of a tournament in Atlanta, in which the best players in the country will compete against each other this month.
Looking to her future, Athena would love to represent Great Britain in the Olympics and compete in the Women’s National Basketball Association (WNBA) in the States.