At just 32 years old, Rena Wakama has emerged as a transformative figure in Nigerian basketball, reshaping the legacy of D’Tigress, Nigeria’s women’s national team.
Appointed as the head coach in June 2023, Wakama stepped into the role amidst widespread skepticism, primarily due to her limited international coaching experience but has since made history and shattered records.
The Nigeria Basketball Federation (NBBF) initially defended Wakama’s selection by highlighting her past experience as a former D’Tigress player. However, skeptics were quick to point out that her contributions as a player had been modest, casting doubt on her ability to lead the team. In response to the criticism, Wakama confidently stated in an interview that she knew she was meant to be in this role, and time would reveal the purpose behind her appointment.
“I knew I wanted to be a coach. I knew that was my calling; that was what I wanted to be. I knew that was my journey; I knew I had more impact organising a team,” Wakama highlighted in an interview while explaining how she is already neck deep into managerial roles at just over 30 years of age.
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“When God puts something in your heart, you have to follow it. I wanted to start early,” she added.
Despite her youth, Wakama’s qualifications were solid. She was a four-year letterman at the University of Western Carolina, had played professionally in the UK, and served as an Assistant Coach at Stony Brook University. Additionally, she holds a Bachelor’s degree in therapeutic recreation and an MBA.
It would be recalled that after a brief playing career, Wakama transitioned to coaching in 2015, joining D’Tigress for the Women’s AfroBasket, where Nigeria finished third. She gained valuable experience from this and further honed her coaching skills with Nigeria’s First Bank team at the FIBA Africa Champions Cup for Women.
Nevertheless, some within the Nigerian basketball community remained unconvinced, believing that Wakama, a relative newcomer, couldn’t match the prowess of her predecessor, Otis Hughley, who had led D’Tigress during a period of dominance.
Midway through her two-year contract, Wakama not only silenced her critics who never gave her a chance to do what the male coaches had done in 2017, 2019 and 2021 but also impressed those who had supported her appointment. She quickly got to work, conducting trials across the U.S., Europe, and Nigeria to scout fresh talent for the AfroBasket title defense in Rwanda.
Despite resistance from established players, some of whom boycotted the tryouts or retired, Wakama persevered with her new recruits. Her efforts paid off when she became the first female coach to win the AfroBasket Women’s Championship since 1966.
Wakama continued to break records with D’Tigress, showcasing her exceptional coaching skills and solidifying her legacy in Nigerian basketball. In just one year, she led the team to their fourth consecutive AfroBasket title, secured Olympic qualification, and became the first female head coach to lead an African team to an Olympic basketball victory.
This historic performance culminated in D’Tigress reaching the Olympic quarterfinals for the first time, where they gave a strong performance against top-ranked USA. This success propelled D’Tigress to the eighth spot in the FIBA rankings.
Her performances led the President of the Nigeria Basketball Federation (NBBF), Musa Kida, to confirm she will continue as the head coach of D’Tigress.
Kida emphasised that the journey to Paris 2024 began in 2017, to shock the world. He highlighted their similar success at the FIBA World Cup in Spain in 2018 and reflected on their strong preparations for the Tokyo 2020 Olympics despite financial constraints that hindered their performance.
‘They did the same thing in the FIBA World Cup in Spain in 2018, reaching the same feat; rolling from there was the Olympics in Tokyo 2020 Olympics.
“Our preparations for Tokyo were second to none; I don’t think our girls ever prepared to or were more prepared to play in any Olympics. Unfortunately, because of the resources we didn’t have, even though preparations were top-notch, we didn’t perform as expected.
“Fast forward to the ripples that we had in 2021 and 2022, about inner frictions between the players and the allowances they didn’t get. So, there was a little fallout from there when the government decided to withdraw us from international women’s basketball events; we had to rebound on that, go back to the trenches to rebuild,” Kida added.
Kida acknowledged Wakama’s fresh approach and the support she received to build a team blending new talent with experienced players.
‘Wakama came in with new blood, and then we gave her all the support possible to build this new team with a few old people,” Kida continued.
‘We got through the qualifiers; first, we went to Kigali last year, and we won the Afro basketball for the fourth time consecutively. We went to Belgium in February to qualify for the Olympics.
‘We went to Germany in July, and we had a robust strategic plan on what we wanted, after which we had three friendlies, one in Berlin, the other in Serbia, and then against the Japanese team here in Paris,” he said.
Wakama who transformed D’Tigress into a powerhouse on the court was named as the best coach of the Women’s Basketball Tournament, while New Jersey-born point guard Ezinne Kalu was named to the All-Second Team.
Key players such as Amy Okonkwo, Pallas Kunaiyi-Akpannah, Elizabeth Balogun, and Promise Amukamara also drew attention for their standout performances. However, though less highlighted, Murjanatu Musa’s contributions were crucial to Nigeria’s success.
At 24, Musa was integral to D’Tigress’ groundbreaking where her performances were pivotal, and she averaged 10.7 points and 6.7 rebounds per game, ranking second on the team in scoring and leading in rebounds. Nigeria’s defense, spearheaded by Musa, was exceptional; they forced 69 turnovers and 40 steals in group play.
As D’Tigress continue to build on their success, Wakama’s influence will undoubtedly remain a defining force as she has not only redefined team’s legacy but also paved the way for future generations to dream big and break barriers.
In a world where representation and leadership matter more than ever, Wakama stands as a beacon of hope and inspiration, showing that with passion, determination, and vision, anything is possible.
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