#alexia chery

“Scoop: she's not shy!”

Together, they played nearly 300 matches for Bourges (2016-2019), Lyon (2021-2024) and the French national team. Alexia Chery describes the evolution of her teammate, on and off the court.

Do you remember your first meeting with Marine Johannes?

We signed for Bourges the same season, we both arrived at the same time, I was coming out of the INSEP and she was coming from Mondeville where she had started to play professionally, but it was her first real contract outside her region. So we got on quite naturally, right from the first days at the Prado, in pre-season, and we immediately got on well off the court, which brought us closer together.

How would you describe her as a teammate?

In a nutshell, I'd say she's a … (she laughs). Not bipolar, but two-faced. She has what she shows, what she wants to show and give to people outside of her circle, and she also has another side, where she gives herself authentically to those close to her. It's really two different characters. Everyone thinks she's shy, but scoop: she's not! She's careful about what she does, what she says, she's not necessarily at ease with the media, but she's managed to build her career in spite of that, and she doesn't care.

With the media, the evolution is impressive. Have you noticed it?

Yes, I was amused to see it. It's a great evolution, she's come a long way! Seeing her now quite at ease in interviews makes me smile, because I know where she's coming from. Like seeing her speak in English in interviews after her games in New York. And at a time-out in New York, being interviewed and asking to speak in French makes me laugh too, because it's Marine. I feel she's more comfortable with it, and good for her. She's been through a lot that's made her grow up.

Do you think there's a lack of understanding surrounding her, some people, in the face of her level, her talent, expect her to be, in addition, the vocal leader she's not?

Yes, I think so. People, the media, expected a lot from Marine very early on. She made the decision - and it was the right one - to concentrate on the court. In the French team, as at ASVEL, she's not the one who's going to speak up, who's going to shout the loudest, but she's our leader on the court. And we teammates know that, we know her. And I'm repeating myself, but we expected a lot from her at the start, and she wasn't necessarily ready for all that. But I'm proud of her, because she's managed to stay true to herself despite what people have said, especially during her years at Bourges when she was very young.

And in the game, because she can pull off some amazing moves, should we also give her a higher percentage of missed attempts?

In every team, there are leaders who are more likely to make mistakes, and that's normal, and some players who come off the bench, make a mistake and go back to the bench, and that's normal too. I've played a lot with Marine, and I'm used to her being the player with the margin of error. We all know that she's capable of great things. And it's the area in which she has made the most progress which is smaller than it was five years ago or even last season.

As time goes by, are you still surprised by some of her passes?

Less and less, if at all. I must have caught one or two balls in the head, so I know now that you always have to have your hands ready! When she manages to trick the defense, she often tricks her teammates too, so we always try to be ready. I remember one match where she put the ball in the referee's head. It was unintentional, but the referee's hands weren't ready.

In terms of popularity, have you noticed any changes in recent years, particularly among young people?

Above all, she's become more aware of certain things. At first, she felt she was only a basketball player, but now she's starting to realize that she's more than just that for some people. She's taking more initiatives, doing more things off the court to show that she can be a model to other girls and young basketball players. The WNBA has enabled her to do that. And when we go to venues in France or back home at Lyon, you feel that people come for Lyon, yes, but also for Marine. When we were younger, the players we admired didn't necessarily have the opportunity to be much more than basketball players - even if some of them did it very well. But today, with the evolution of social medias and the fact that we're more and more in the media spotlight, it's part of the job. And Marine can handle it, so that's even better.

France vs. Finland Olympic preparation match, June 29 2024: All-Access - Puissance 4 | Épisode 3 : Une place à gagner (All-Access - Power 4 | Episode 3: A place to win) by FFBB