Picked 19th overall by the Mystics in the 2013 WNBA Draft’s second round, Emma Meesseman quickly became one of the cornerstones of their team. She played a key role in helping Washington win their first and only championship in 2019. But after her run with the Chicago Sky in 2022, the Belgian international hasn’t been seen in the W.

But after a 3-year hiatus that saw her win the 2025 Eurobasket with the Belgium national team while also finishing as the top scorer in the 2024 Paris Olympics, Meesseman is without a doubt a huge coup for the New York Liberty. As the whole world patiently waits to see her complete her visa formalities and join the team, let’s dive deep into her background.

Where is Emma Meesseman from, and what is Emma Meesseman’s nationality?

Emma Meesseman was born on May 13, 1993, in Ypres, Belgium, to Sonja Tankrey and Gil Meesseman. Born with moderate hearing loss, Emma didn’t let that hold her back. She kicked off her club career at just 16, suiting up for the Blue Cats in her hometown and also competing in the EuroCup with Lotto Young Cats. A proud representative of the Belgian national team, Meesseman is of Belgian nationality.

What is Emma Meesseman’s ethnicity?

Emma Meesseman comes from a true basketball family. Her mother, Sonja Tankrey, was a star in her own right; she represented Belgium in both the 1980 and 1985 EuroBasket Women’s tournaments. During the 1980s, under coach Werner Rotsaert, she led BBC Koksijde to five straight league-and-cup doubles.

So, naturally, she understands it all and is quite proud of her daughter.

“Of course I’m proud of my daughter,” Tankrey once said. “She excels as a team player. She scores easily, but she also makes the team tick, and that’s fun. Her strengths? She’s fast, has a good dribble, and an excellent shot. But above all, she sees the game, and that’s a very important quality that’s almost impossible to train. You either have it or you don’t.”

Emma’s father, Gil Meesseman, works as a physiotherapist, more specifically a kinesiologist. With both parents born and raised in Belgium, it’s safe to say the Meesseman family proudly carries Belgian roots through and through and could be of the Flemish ethnic group. However, there are no verified records to confirm that yet.

Is Emma Meesseman Christian?

Unfortunately, there’s no publicly available information confirming Emma Meesseman’s religion. Her faith or religious beliefs haven’t been a focus in media coverage or her professional life, so it’s not something that’s been openly discussed or reported. However, given that Christianity is the most widely practiced religion in Belgium, it’s possible that Meesseman follows the same faith. That said, this is purely an educated assumption and not confirmed by any official source.