AfroBasket win: D’Tigress coach thanks Tinubu for ‘life-changing’ rewards

By : Guardian Nigeria

Date: 5 August 2025 1:37pm WAT

First Lady, Oluremi Tinubu (left); D’Tigress Captain, Amy Okonkwo; Vice President Kashim Shettima; Coach Rena Wakama, and wife of the Vice President, Nana Shettima, during the reception for Nigeria D’Tigress after 2025 FIBA Women’s Afrobasket Championship win, at the residential Villa, Abuja, yesterday.

Head coach of Nigeria’s women’s national basketball team, D’Tigress, Rena Wakama, has commended President Bola Tinubu for honouring the team following their fifth consecutive FIBA Women’s AfroBasket championship victory.

Speaking to journalists at the State House in Abuja on Monday, Wakama said the recognition and reward presented by the President represented a significant moment for the players and the coaching staff. She described the gesture as “life-changing” and a source of renewed motivation for women in Nigerian sports.

“We’re so thankful, so, so thankful for Your Excellency President Tinubu,” Wakama said. “This is life-changing for some of these girls, life-changing for us. This is what we need — renewed hope. We’re grateful for this, and we look forward to even more support in the future.”

Wakama, who made history as the first woman to win back-to-back AfroBasket titles as head coach, highlighted the unity and shared commitment of the team as key to their success in Côte d’Ivoire.

“It was easy representing Nigeria — a country and sport that we love deeply. When you love your country, your teammates, and the game, everything falls into place,” she said.

She acknowledged the symbolic importance of her position and said she hoped her leadership would encourage more Nigerian women to take on coaching roles.

“It breaks my heart, but I know change has started with me. To be a woman and get an opportunity to coach at this level is a good sign for others,” Wakama said. “I’m thankful to the NBBF president for trusting me to lead this team and do my job. I hope I’m not the last, and I hope I’ve inspired other women to take bold steps into coaching.”

Wakama and members of the technical crew were each awarded $50,000 for their role in the tournament. Each player also received $100,000, a national honour — Officer of the Order of the Niger (OON), and a flat, as announced by Vice President Kashim Shettima, who represented President Tinubu during the reception.

Wakama, who also serves as an assistant coach with the WNBA’s Chicago Sky, appealed for continued national support for D’Tigress as they prepare for the 2026 FIBA Women’s World Cup in Berlin, Germany.