New era? D’Tigress to defend title without Senegal 2019 stars

For the first time in over 10 years, Nigeria’s women basketball national team, D’Tigress, will be entering a major championship without 90 per cent of the players that have won several competitions for the country.

It is less than two weeks to the FIBA AfroBasket Championship billed to hold in Rwanda and Nigeria is about entering camp to begin preparation for the competition, which it won the last time out.

The Nigerian women have dominated African basketball for over a decade and were rated among the best teams of the world following the exploits of such stars as Adaora Elonu, Aisha Balarabe, Elizabeth Balogun, Promise Amukamara, Atonye Nyingifa, Ezinne Kalu, Ify Ibekwe, Oderah Chidom, Victoria Macaulay, and Erica Ogwumike.

These stars led Nigeria to victory at the last championship in Senegal in 2019, but they are not in the new team because of a misunderstanding with the Nigeria Basketball Federation (NBBF).

In their place is a team of 20 players, some of who are veterans of the game, announced by new coach, Rena Wakama.

The 2023 FIBA Afrobasket Women’s Championship will hold from July 28 to August 6.

The team announced by Wakama yesterday include 15 players plying their trade outside Nigeria and five other players from First Bank, MFM and Customs Basketball clubs in the local league.

The home-based players in the team are MFM’s Hembam Wandoo, Akaraiwe Nkem Uwa of Nigeria Customs, First Bank’s trio of Murjanatu Musa Linan, Mac-Dangusi Theresa and Theresa Anta Joy Ebiega.

The overseas-based players in the squad are Toyosi Abiola (Eastern Michigan University, U.S.), Tomi Taiwo (Texas Christian University, U.S.), Onaibe Believe Jessica (ASPAC, Benin Republic), Okoro Ifunanya (KPA, Kenya) and Sarah Ogoke (Ferroviario, Mozambique).

Others are Elizabeth Balogun (Duke Blue Devils, U.S.), Mariam Olawoyin (Chipola College, U.S.), Adeyeye Adebola (Kentucky Wildcats, U.S.), Amanda Okodugba (Grindavik, Iceland), Lix Dixon (Connecticut, WNBA, U.S.).