Meet Victorious D’Tigress Coach, Rena Wakama

Nigeria’s National Female Basketball Team, D’Tigress has gone on to achieve a remarkable feat by winning the women’s Afrobasket championship for the fourth consecutive time. In a thrilling championship game, D’Tigress defeated Senegal with a scoreline of 84-74, solidifying their dominance in African women’s basketball.

Adding to the historic victory, head coach Rena Wakama made her mark as the first female coach to lead a team to victory since the inception of the Afrobasket competition in 1966. Her achievement marks a significant milestone in the realm of women’s basketball in Africa, breaking the 57-year streak of male coaches’ supremacy.

Wakama, despite being appointed as head coach less than a month before the Rwandan tournament, demonstrated exceptional leadership and brilliance. The team had never tasted defeat in an African champions encounter, having previously secured three consecutive championships.

Here are five key things to know about Rena Wakama, the coach with the Midas touch:

Born on April 11, 1992, in Raleigh, North Carolina, Wakama is of Nigerian descent, with her parents, Johnson Wakama and Rosana Oba, hailing from Okrika in Rivers State.

She pursued her education at Western Carolina University, graduating in 2014 with a Bachelor’s degree in therapeutic recreation. During her time at the university, she actively played for the “Catamounts,” the women’s basketball team.

Wakama’s journey with D’Tigress began in 2015, shortly after her graduation from college. She joined the team for the 2015 Women’s Afrobasket competition held in Cameroon, where Nigeria secured a third-place finish. Unfortunately, due to a missed registration deadline, her name was omitted from the Nigerian national roster for that event.

Before embarking on her coaching career, Wakama competed for Nigeria’s First Bank at the FIBA Africa Champions Cup for Women, showcasing her skills on the court.

Her passion for coaching led her to Manhattan College, where she served as the operations director for women’s basketball in her initial two years. Eventually, she earned a promotion to the role of assistant coach in her third year, honing her coaching skills while overseeing academic and volunteer liaison responsibilities for the team.

Rena Wakama’s historic achievement as the first female coach to guide D’Tigress to their fourth consecutive Afrobasket championship triumph is a testament to her dedication, talent, and impact on women’s basketball in Africa. Her legacy will undoubtedly inspire future generations of female athletes and coaches across the continent.