By Daily Sports Nigeria on August 6, 2025

As the D’Tigress sealed a record fifth consecutive title and seventh overall at the 2025 FIBA Women’s AfroBasket, it was Amy Okonkwo’s brilliance on the court and Rena Wakama’s leadership on the sidelines that anchored Nigeria’s dominance. OLAMIDE ABE spotlights their landmark achievements

Okonkwo: A class apart

At just 28 years of age, Amy Okonkwo has become Nigeria’s most decorated Most Valuable Player in AfroBasket history. The Bourges forward, born in the United States but proudly representing Nigeria, was crowned the tournament’s MVP for the second time in a row, adding the 2025 honour to her 2023 title.

Before Okonkwo, only three Nigerian players had received the AfroBasket MVP award: Mfon Udoka in 2005, Ezinne Kalu in 2019, and Adaora Elonu in 2021, each winning it once. Okonkwo’s back-to-back triumph now places her alone at the pinnacle among Nigerian greats.

This feat not only cements her legacy in Nigerian basketball but also places her in elite continental company. Okonkwo joins Angola’s Nacissela Maurício and Senegal’s Aya Traoré as the only players to have won two MVP awards at the AfroBasket. Only Senegal’s Mame Maty Mbengue, who won three MVPs in 1993, 1997, and 2000, remains ahead in the all-time ranking.

Okonkwo’s impact during the 2025 tournament was as commanding as it was elegant. Over five games, she averaged 14 points, six rebounds, and posted an efficiency rating of 15.6. In a final that demanded everything from its stars, she responded with a complete 40-minute performance, scoring 19 points against a physical Malian side.

She headlined the All-Tournament Team alongside Cierra Dillard (Senegal), Delicia Washington (South Sudan), Jane Asinde (Uganda), and Sika Kone (Mali).

Wakama: Making history from the sidelines

While Okonkwo dazzled on the court, Rena Wakama, the trailblazing head coach of D’Tigress, made history of her own from the sidelines.

In 2023, Wakama became the first female head coach to lead Nigeria’s national women’s basketball team. That year, she also became the first female coach to win the AfroBasket title in the tournament’s history. Now, two years later, she stands alone as the first female head coach to win the championship twice.

The 33-year-old’s leadership again proved decisive in 2025. Nigeria’s D’Tigress, under her guidance, completed the tournament unbeaten, extending their flawless AfroBasket record since 2015. The 78–64 victory over Mali in the final not only preserved their winning streak but also earned their automatic qualification for the 2026 FIBA Women’s World Cup pre-qualifiers.

As a coach, Wakama’s tactical nous was exemplified not just in the AfroBasket triumphs but also on the global stage. At the 2024 Olympic Games in Paris, she masterminded one of the tournament’s biggest shocks as Nigeria defeated Canada 79–70, becoming the first African team, male or female, to reach the quarter-finals in Olympic basketball history.

That feat earned her FIBA’s Best Coach award and solidified her status as one of the most respected young coaches in the sport.

Wakama embodies a unique blend of international experience, academic excellence, and strategic acumen. A former four-year letterman at Western Carolina University, she played professionally in the United Kingdom and represented Nigeria at the 2015 AfroBasket, though she did not feature on the court due to a registration issue.

Together, Okonkwo and Wakama are not just winning titles; they are rewriting the story of Nigerian and African basketball. They represent the same generations of players but are functioning in two different roles with a determination to elevate D’Tigress to unprecedented heights.

Okonkwo’s journey to becoming a continental giant began at the 2021 AfroBasket, where she debuted for D’Tigress, averaging 9.4 points and 4.2 rebounds en route to gold. Her selection in the 2023 All-Star team marked the first time a Nigerian had delivered two double-doubles in a single tournament. This year, she proved that performance was no fluke.

Okonkwo’s back-to-back MVP titles are not just personal accolades; they underscore Nigeria’s continued tactical and technical superiority in African women’s basketball. Her dominance is symbolic of the evolution of the D’Tigress team into one of the most feared sides globally.

Source Punch Ng

Posted August 6, 2025

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