The Golden State Valkyries’ Temi Fagbenle loves basketball — but acting is her dream

As a student at Blair Academy, a small boarding school in New Jersey, Temi Fagbenle was living the best of both worlds. 

At 6-foot-4, Fagbenle, who now plays for the WNBA’s Golden State Valkyries, was a standout for the school’s girls’ basketball team. Though basketball had become her dominant extracurricular, Fagbenle also held a love for the theater, a passion that reverberated throughout her family.

After school, Fagbenle would attend basketball practice, running through drills and plays until the coach called the evening’s final huddle. Then, like a scene from High School Musical, Fagbenle would grab her things and sprint over to her school’s auditorium to take part in her theater company’s rehearsal.

“It was such an amazing time,” said Fagbenle, 32, whose favorite role was starring as Trix the Aviatrix in The Drowsy Chaperone. “Although tiring, obviously.”

Fagbenle would continue to excel on the court and go on to play college basketball at Harvard and the University of Southern California, where she received a handful of postseason honors during her career. As her basketball star continued to rise, Fagbenle put her love of acting on ice, no longer able to enjoy both like she once could.

An unmissable opportunity and a familial nudge from her Emmy-nominated older brother, however, has given Fagbenle a renewed shot at the screen and stage.

In January 2027, Fagbenle will be featured in the highly anticipated film Children of Blood and Bone, adapted from the popular book series of the same title written by Tomi Adeyemi. The film stars a powerhouse cast including Idris Elba, Cynthia Erivo, Viola Davis, Damson Idris and Regina King. Filming began in February and wrapped in early June.

“Being in this movie is kind of, like, just the start of my film career, I hope,” Fagbenle said.

Fagbenle remembers reading the first edition of Children of Blood and Bone around the time it came out in 2018. The author of the novel, Adeyemi, had attended Harvard at the same time as Fagbenle, and the pair shared an acting class with each other. After reading Adeyemi’s novel, Fagbenle recalled thinking that if the book was ever made into a film, that she would love to be in.

For Fagbenle, who is Nigerian, there was an added significance to wanting to be a part of a story written by a Nigerian-American author whose plot is inspired by African mythology. The book follows the character Zélie on her quest to restore magic in the kingdom of Orïsha as a king threatens to eliminate magic wielders, the Maji, for good.

“I could be an extra for all you know, oh my God. I don’t care, like anything,” Fagbenle said of her desire to be involved in the prospective film.

In 2022, Paramount Pictures acquired the rights to adapt the novel into a movie. In December 2023, Gina Prince-Bythewood was tabbed to direct the film.   

With the film now a reality, Fagbenle turned to her brother O-T Fagbenle, a Hollywood actor who has starred in TV shows such as The Handmaid’s Tale and movies such as Black Widow, for advice on what to do.

“There’s nothing to lose,” O-T said when she asked if she should shoot her shot and message Prince-Bythewood. “What’s the worst that can happen? Hit her up. DM her right now.”

So Fagbenle did. To her surprise, Prince-Bythewood responded, directing Fagbenle to the movie’s casting director. Fagbenle had secured an audition.

“Thankfully, she is a WNBA fan,” Fagbenle said. 

Fagbenle’s ambition should come as no surprise – it’s a trait that runs in her family.

In addition to O-T, there is Oladapo Fagbenle, Temi’s brother, known professionally as Daps, who is a director. Daps has directed music videos for Migos, Stormzy, Kendrick Lamar, Lil Baby and Saweetie. There’s also Luti Fagbenle, another brother of Temi’s who is an executive producer and founder of Luti Media, an independent film production company. Luti has worked with Beyonce and Jay-Z, One Direction and Ed Sheeran.

“We’re just go-getters,” said Fagbenle, who has 11 siblings in all. “Everything we do, you know, we support each other, we cheer each other on. We obviously have a group chat.”

Acting was one of Fagbenle’s first loves way before basketball, she said. Fagbenle watched as her brothers grew up in the theater, seeing and feeling the impact of their performances. She knew she wanted to do the same one day.

Fagbenle dreamed of being in movies and getting the opportunity to portray strong characters capable of evoking emotion from her audience. When the hit TV show Game of Thrones premiered, she imagined herself portraying multiple characters, from a member of the Dothraki to a formidable foe of Brienne of Tarth.  

There are details about Fagbenle’s role in the film that she wasn’t at liberty to disclose, she said, such as her character in the movie or when she filmed her part.

“I have a very small role, so it didn’t take long at all, just, like, a week,” said Fagbenle, who said she filmed her scenes in South Africa. “That’s really all I should say on that.”

From the audition process through the end of filming, Fagbenle leaned on O-T for guidance. When she got a callback from the casting director, she asked O-T what it entailed. When asked to make different choices in her performance, she called O-T, her big brother who was always a willing resource.

 “He was there through the whole process,” Fagbenle said. 

While Fagbenle has a desire to pursue future acting roles, she currently is focused on her on-court role with the Valkyries, a team that has impressed in its inaugural season.

Fagbenle is a veteran on a fairly young Golden State roster, hoping her leadership and experience can provide a sense of balance and consistency to the team.

“I want to be the best I can be,” said Fagbenle, who won a WNBA championship with the Minnesota Lynx as a rookie in 2017. “I think I’m doing a decent job.”

Fagbenle is having a career year with the Valkyries in her fifth WNBA season, averaging single-season personal bests in points (10.3), rebounds (6.1), assists (1.9), steals (1.5) and blocks (0.9).

“She brings so much energy,” said Valkyries forward Kayla Thornton. “Her athleticism, her IQ, her knowing when to, like, score and all that, and then her defense is just tremendous.” 

When it comes to Golden State’s defense, Valkyries head coach Natalie Nakase views Fagbenle as the team’s quarterback. Fagbenle is the team’s best communicator, Nakase said, helping to orchestrate Golden State from the backline of the defense.

“Temi has been one of our most consistent players, hands down,” Nakase said. “Her effort never stops. … She’s just our perfect piece to our five-man right now.”

Fagbenle has experienced a slew of joy-inducing moments over the course of her basketball career, but nothing quite compares to the emotions drawn from being a part of her first movie. 

As Fagbenle stood on set of the film in South Africa, she was moved by the moment she found herself in. She couldn’t believe it was all real, from the A-list cast acting alongside her to Prince-Bythewood giving her direction. Fagbenle’s mother was also present for the experience. Overcome with gratitude, Fagbenle burst into tears – “tears of happiness,” she said – in between takes.

When asked if that moment felt better than winning a WNBA championship, Fagbenle said, “It was definitely more. I can’t even lie.”