Noa Kouakou-Heugue
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| Free agent | |
|---|---|
| Position | Power forward / centre |
| Personal information | |
| Born | 28 April 2007 Lille, France |
| Listed height | 209 cm (6 ft 10 in) |
| Listed weight | 95 kg (209 lb) |
| Career information | |
| High school | INSEP (Paris, France) |
| Playing career | 2023–present |
| Career history | |
| 2023–2025 | Pôle France |
| 2025–2026 | Perth Wildcats |
Noa Kouakou-Heugue (born 28 April 2007) is a French professional basketball player who last played for the Perth Wildcats of the Australian National Basketball League (NBL).
Kouakou-Heugue was born in Lille, France.[1] He began playing basketball in the south of France at age 11.[1] His junior club was ASVEL Villeurbanne.[2]
In 2022, he joined INSEP in Paris.[2] He debuted in the Nationale Masculine 1 in the 2023–24 season with Pôle France, averaging 3.4 points and 4.0 rebounds in 28 games.[3] In the 2024–25 season, he played 34 games for Pôle France and averaged 9.7 points, 4.8 rebounds, 1.8 assists and 1.0 blocks per game.[3]
In March 2025, he was named MVP of the Adidas Next Generation Tournament in Belgrade.[4][5][6]
Professional career
On 7 July 2025, Kouakou-Heugue signed with the Perth Wildcats of the Australian National Basketball League (NBL) as part of the league's Next Stars program.[7] He was assigned a bench role as a back-up power forward or centre.[8] Limited playing opportunities at the start of the 2025–26 season led to a dispute between Kouakou-Heugue and the Wildcats.[9] Following a game on 2 November, he ceased attending training and matches while attempting to exit his two-year Next Star contract in order to return home to play for Élan Chalon.[10] With the contract held by both the NBL and the Wildcats,[10] neither party was willing to release him without a significant payout, which Élan Chalon was unwilling to provide.[11] He subsequently returned to training alongside plans to see out his contract after two weeks away from the team.[11] He finished the season having played 17 games as the Wildcats reached the playoffs, with season highs of 8 points and 4 rebounds in round six.[12]
On 22 April 2026, Kouakou-Heugue and the Wildcats parted ways.[12]
National team career
Kouakou-Heugue played for the French under-16 national team at the 2023 FIBA U16 European Championship and the French under-17 national team at the 2024 FIBA Under-17 Basketball World Cup.[13] With the French under-19 national team at the 2025 FIBA Under-19 Basketball World Cup, he averaged seven points, five rebounds and 1.6 blocks per game.[14][15]