The 2025 NBA Draft features a boatload of talent coming out of France, including Noa Essengue.
After Victor Wembanyama, Alex Sarr, and Zaccharie Risacher have headlined the draft in recent years as French prospects, there are still more potential stars coming to the NBA from France. Essengue may wind up being the first player from the country to come off 2025 draft boards.Â
Standing at 6-foot-10 with strong defensive instincts and an ability to get to the rim, Essengue has been projected as a lottery selection in this year’s cycle. But as he heads to the league, fans will have to get familiar with pronouncing his name.
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Here’s a guide to pronouncing Noa Essengue, including his first and last name.
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Noa Essengue pronunciation
“Noa” is pronounced the same as the American first name “Noah,” saying it as “Noh‑ah.” As for “Essengue,” it’s pronounced “ess-en-gay.”
Here’s a look at some of Essengue’s highlights in France, where you can also hear the broadcasters’ pronunciations:
Career-high 22 points and 14 rebounds for Noa Essengue exploded in Game 1 of the German playoff semis. The 18-year-old showcased his skill level, fluidity, defensive versatility, and feel for the game, knocking down a pair of 3s and bringing impressive intensity on both ends. pic.twitter.com/JLMjHZGsF0
— Jonathan Givony (@DraftExpress) June 3, 2025
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Noa Essengue stats
Here’s a look at Essengue’s numbers with Ulm in EuroCup over the past two seasons, per Basketball Reference.Â
| Season | Games | MIN | PTS | REB | AST | STL | BLK | TO | PF | FG% | 3P% | FT% |
| 2023-24 | 7 | 6.0 | 2.7 | 1.7 | 0.6 | 0.4 | 0.1 | 0.7 | 0.9 | 55.6% | 25.0% | 72.7% |
| 2024-25 | 18 | 23.7 | 12.4 | 5.3 | 1.4 | 1.4 | 0.6 | 1.0 | 2.6 | 56.0% | 29.4% | 73.0% |
As a prospect, Essengue is often praised for his versatility and all-around game from the frontcourt. He’s able to get to the free-throw line, create plays defensively, and score around the rim with his height advantage.
Essengue is also viewed as a project, coming in as one of the youngest players in the 2025 NBA Draft with a narrow frame and improvement needed within his outside scoring skills. But with natural instincts in using his size to draw contact, score inside, and play strong defense, Essengue has a ton of upside as he heads to the league.
Entering the draft, The Sporting News’ Gilbert McGregor projects Essengue to go No. 9 overall to the Raptors.
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