Nigeria’s women’s basketball coach Rena Wakama has achieved another milestone, becoming head coach of Hive BC in the U.S.-based Unrivaled Basketball League.
Wakama, 32, led D’Tigress to back-to-back AfroBasket titles (2023 and 2025) and a historic Olympic quarterfinal appearance in Paris — the first ever for an African basketball team, male or female.
Unrivaled, co-founded by WNBA stars Breanna Stewart and Napheesa Collier, confirmed her appointment as part of its 2026 season expansion.
“Rena Wakama will lead Hive BC in the team’s debut. She embodies the future of global women’s basketball,” the league said.
The Nigerian coach previously served as an assistant with the Chicago Sky and collegiate programs at Tulane and Stony Brook.
Impact Snapshot
- First African woman to coach in a U.S. professional basketball league.
- Boost for Nigeria’s sports diplomacy and women’s representation.
- D’Tigress maintain continuity under NBBF succession plan.
From Lagos to the World
Wakama’s rise is emblematic of a new generation of Nigerian women redefining global sports leadership.
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