The Nigeria Basketball Federation (NBBF), yesterday, announced United States-based Nigerian coach, Rena Wakama, as new head coach of the national women’s team, D’Tigress, ahead of the 27th FIBA Africa Women’s Championship scheduled for Rwanda from July 28 to August 6.
According to the NBBF, the contract with the coach signed yesterday is for two years in the first instance.
Wakama, a former national team player, currently serves as an assistant coach at Stony Brooks University, U.S.
According to NBBF: “Wakama was a four-year letterman at the University of Western Carolina and played professional basketball in the United Kingdom, in addition to playing for the senior Nigerian national team.
“Wakama received a bachelor’s degree in therapeutic recreation from Western Carolina in 2014 and an MBA from Manhattan in 2019.”
The Rivers State indigene is taking on the biggest task in Africa’s women’s basketball, as the Nigerian ladies are the continent’s current African champions.
The Nigerian team won the trophy in 2017 and has since remained unbeaten by any African team at any venue across the world.
They made it to the quarterfinal stage of the FIBA Women’s World Cup in Spain, beating teams regarded as super powers along the line.
Wakama’s first work is to rebuild an emotionally fragile team that was engulfed in serious political upheaval surrounding the federation’s election in 2022 – a development that made them lose their place at the last World Cup in Australia.
Next for Wakama is to successfully defend the African cup in Rwanda in July.
Speaking with The Guardian yesterday, NBBF President, Musa Kida, said the new D’Tigress coach would release the programmes of the team for the AfroBasket Championship this week.
“The NBBF did a clear evaluation of the women coach’s experience in basketball before appointing her to handle the Nigerian national team.
“As a women’s coach, Wakama should be able to handle the team to success at the AfroBasket Championship. At this point, we are waiting for her to release programmes for the championship so that the team will begin preparations immediately for the African Championship.
“By this new week, I believe the camping details of the team will be made known to the public,” he said.
Meanwhile, the senior men’s team, D’Tigers, will begin their campaign to qualify for the Angola 2023 AfroBasketball Championship today at the Palais des Sports de Treichville, Abidjan, Cote d’Ivoire.
The 12-man team flew into Abidjan on Thursday aboard an ASKY Airlines flight from Lagos.
Three countries from FIBA Africa Zone Three and one country from Zone Two are in Abidjan to fight for the sole ticket from the combined zones as arranged by FIBA Africa.
