Rena Wakama: D’Tigress Aiming for Long-Term African Dominance After Fifth AfroBasket Title
By: IDNN Sports Desk
Fresh from guiding Nigeria’s D’Tigress to their fifth consecutive Women’s AfroBasket title, head coach Rena Wakama has set her sights on ensuring the team’s dominance lasts well into the next decade.
Wakama, who made history in 2023 as the first female coach to win an AfroBasket title, doubled down on her achievement by leading the team to another triumph in Abidjan — a 78–64 victory over Mali that extended their unbeaten run to 29 games.
“This is about more than one championship. We want to create a culture and a structure that keeps Nigeria at the top of African basketball for years to come,” Wakama told IDNN.
🏆 Key Performers
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Amy Okonkwo: Named tournament MVP for the second consecutive time.
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Ezinne Kalu: Scored 20 points in the final, steering the offence.
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Elizabeth Balogun & Ifunanya Okoro: Provided defensive stability and clutch scoring.
🏀 Building for the Future
Wakama said the Nigerian Basketball Federation is working on expanding scouting, strengthening grassroots programmes, and securing more competitive friendlies against top global teams.
“Our next step is to test ourselves consistently against the best in the world. We can’t dominate Africa and then struggle on the global stage — that has to change,” she added.
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