By Daily Sports Nigeria on October 11, 2024
D’Tigress and Atlanta Dream guard Ezinne Kalu has set a target for herself in the Women’s National Basketball Association (WNBA), which is to win the Defensive Player of the Year award, PUNCH Sports Extra reports.
The 32-year-old, who had a sterling 2024 Olympic Games in Paris campaign, helping Nigeria reach the quarterfinals, the first by an African country, recently realised her dream of playing in the WNBA when she joined Atlanta Dream.
By so doing, the New Jersey-born became the first Black athlete from a historically black college to play the NWBA in over 15 years, a feat she celebrated with a statement on her X handle on Thursday.
“Recently, I found out that I was the first athlete from a historically black college to play in the WNBA in over 15 years, and I couldn’t make this statement any more true. Delayed does not mean denied. Blessed to be the first while praying I’m not the last,’’ wrote the Savahhah State University graduate.
Her university coach, Cedric Baker, extolled her virtues, reminiscing on how Kalu helped the Tigers to their Mid-Eastern Athletic Conference championship in 2015.
He said, “It takes a special person to be that first. She was just determined, a great teammate, with a very sweet and magnetic personality,” Baker said. “However, she did hold her teammates accountable on both ends, defensibly and offensively.”
Kalu represented Nigeria at the 2017, 2019, and 2021 Afrobasket events, as Africa’s highest-ranked side won three straight championships. She was named the 2019 Women’s Afrobasket Most Valuable Player (MVP).
Source Punch Ng
Posted October 11, 2024
You may also like...
Saudi offer Mourinho more than £100m to coach...
Chelsea Beat Tottenham For The Third Time In...
Nezianya, Odikpo, Balepo, Ndukuba, Chukwuleta For SWAN @60...
CAF, Oliseh laud Boniface after league win
Ortiz Will Not Replace Miller as Joshua’s Next...
Samuel Kalu Set For Bordeaux Return

Shameless, Brainless and Clueless Nigeria’s Football Officials
Bassey Africa’s best defender – Osimhen
Finidi targets NPFL title after CAFCL ticket
LOC chair promises unforgettable WTT Lagos
Akwa governor almost stopped Uyo pitch maintenance – Gusau
Ezechukwu eyes double gold in African Champs
Nnadozie books final spot as Ajibade, Echegini lose title in France
Peter Obi congratulates Osimhen on Turkish league triumph
Edem launches West Africa basketball tourney in Lagos
Uche felt I don’t like him – Glasner
Ejuke gets ‘Jay-Jay’ nickname amid EPL links
International Sambo Federation hails blind Nigerian athletes
Rangers International going, going . . . (63,770 views)
Amaju Pinnick: A cat with nine lives (55,093 views)
Second Term: Amaju Pinnick, Other NFF Heavyweights Home to Roost •How Pinnick Broke the Jinx (53,026 views)
Current issues in Nigerian sports: Matters arising (52,616 views)
Sports Development: Zenith Bank on the zenith (52,535 views)
Missing $150,000 IAAF Grant: Solomon Dalung’s Hide and Seek game (52,436 views)
Gov. Abdullahi Ganduje’s solid footprints, commitment to sports development in Kano State (52,281 views)
NFF Presidency: Pinnick, Maigari, Ogunjobi, Okoye in Battle for Supremacy (51,834 views)
Olopade, BET9A wave of revolution in NNL (51,019 views)
Commonwealth Games 2018: Shame of Muhammadu Buhari, Solomon Dalung (49,518 views)
Ibrahimovic’s Man U exit: Whose decision is it? And in whose interest? (47,941 views)
John Mikel Obi: Segun Odegbami’s Outrageous Call! (47,395 views)