Nanterre

Nanterre 92

	Foundation	1927
	Arena	Palais des sports Maurice-Thorez
	Championships	Betclic ÉLITE / Basketball Champions League
	Coach	Julien Mahé
	Famous players who have played for the club	Victor Wembanyama / Evan Fournier / Mathias Lessort

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Player to watch : Hugo Yimga-Moukouri

Following in the footsteps of Evan Fournier and Victor Wembanyama, Nanterre has found its new star in the form of Hugo Yimga-Moukouri. Born in Colombes in the Paris region, this 2008-born player first tried his hand at judo and boxing before making his first moves on the court at the age of 6. From Courbevoie, he joined the Pôle Espoir as well as the JSFN from 2021 onwards. The three-time medallist with the French Under-21 team made a name for himself in 2025 with his performance in the pre-qualifiers for the adidas Next Generation Tournament, where he finished in the top five.

The 2025–2026 season marked a major breakthrough for this powerful yet agile forward. In his very first Betclic ÉLITE match, Hugo Yimga-Moukouri racked up 10 points in 15 minutes! Spurred on by the unwavering support of Julien Mahé, Nanterre’s number 1 secured the title of best young player in the French league. Today, he is one of the 5 Majeurs’ undisputed mainstays. With the 2027 NBA Draft on the horizon.

Playing Style

Last season, Nanterre 92 were one of the teams who took the fewest shots from beyond the arc, whilst Julien Mahé’s Saint-Quentin dominated the top of the rankings in this category. Now at the helm of the Île-de-France side, the Breton coach is keen to restore the balance between inside and outside play. In particular, he plans to rely on his duo of Saxen and Prkacin.

Shared responsibilities on offense, combined with intense and mobile defense. In the style of Iisalo-style basketball, Julien Mahé advocates for heavy pressure on the backcourt with frequent switches. This high intensity is characterized by regular rotations to ensure that the pace is maintained throughout the 40 minutes of play.

Paris vs Nanterre

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Club History

The Jeunesse Sportive des Fontenelles de Nanterre was founded in 1927. However, the JSFN as we know it today traces its origins to a handful of volunteers who decided to take the reins of the club 60 years after its founding. This club from the Paris suburbs rose from the departmental level to Pro B competition in 15 years thanks to 10 consecutive promotions. This meteoric rise was made possible in large part by the Donnadieu father-son duo at the helm of the club.

Having become one of the very best development clubs in the region, Nanterre competed in the promotion playoffs as early as 2005. The Paris-area team continued to rise in strength, eventually finishing second in the regular season and reaching the 2007 French Cup final against the mighty Pau (92-83). The Élan Béarnais, Nanterre’s new nemesis, stopped them the following year, this time in the semifinals. Getting closer and closer to Pro A with its trio of Americans – Daniels, Carter, and Riley – JSFN reached the final four in 2010 before winning the title in 2011. Last season, Nanterre 92 was one of the teams that took the fewest shots from beyond the arc, while Julien Mahé’s Saint-Quentin dominated the top spots in that category. Now at the helm of the Paris-area team, the Breton coach aims to restore that inside-outside balance. Notably by relying on his Dossou-Yovo and Prkacin duo. Shared responsibilities on offense, combined with intense and mobile defense. Just like

Nanterre struggled early on in its first season in the top flight but picked up steam to finish in an impressive 11th place. Clearly plagued by bad luck, the Paris-area team fell just three points short in the 2013 French Cup final (77-74). Having barely qualified for its first Pro A playoffs, JSFN pulled off the unthinkable by eliminating Gravelines Dunkerque – the regular-season leader – Chalon – the reigning French champion – and then Alexis Ajinca’s SIG in the final. Two years after its promotion, Nanterre found itself at the top of the French league! Better yet, despite a disappointing 10th-place finish in the league, the club made its EuroLeague (C1) debut and finally won the 2014 French Cup against Nancy (55-50).

History repeated itself the following year. Despite a strong second-place finish in Pro A, Nanterre was eliminated in the playoffs. But in the Cup, it was a different story. A last-second shot allowed the Nanterre team to lift their first European trophy with a 64-63 victory over Trabzonspor in the 2015 EuroChallenge final (C3). Continuing its strong performance in this competition, the now-Nanterre 92 qualified for the semifinals of the 2016 Coupe de France, before finally winning it in 2017. A golden season, capped off in spectacular fashion with the FIBA Europe Cup (C4) title, snatched from right under Chalon’s nose.

This trophy would be the last to be won by Nanterre 92. Although JSFN reached the semi-finals of the league, the Coupe de France and the Leaders Cup between 2018 and 2019, they failed to secure a final victory. The club entered a period of transition following the departure of its long-serving president, Jean Donnadieu, alongside that of his son Pascal after 37 seasons on the Verts’ bench. Following a disappointing 13th-place finish in the Betclic ÉLITE, Da Silva handed over the reins to Julien Mahé in the summer of 2025. And in his first season at the helm of the ‘Greens’, the Breton coach led his team to a top-three finish in the regular season. A tremendous achievement that bodes well for the future.

awards and honors

	EuroChallenge (C3)	2015
	Coupe d’Europe FIBA (C4)	2017
	French Champion	2013
	French Cup	2014 / 2017

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Zoom : Victor Wembanyama

It was in Nanterre that “The Alien” took his first steps in the professional world. At age 10, Victor Wembanyama joined the Verts’ youth academy, where he spent his entire adolescence. Starting with the U11 team, he won the Mini-Basketball World Championship in Bourbourg, then moved up to the U13 team for the Inter-Committee Tournament, and finally won the French U15 Championship.

Despite interest from FC Barcelona, Victor Wembanyama remained loyal to the club. And at just 15 years old, he played his first minutes with Nanterre 92 against Brescia in the EuroCup (C2). His time with Nanterre 92 came to an end at the conclusion of the 2020-2021 season, which saw him named the French league’s top prospect.