By Rose Moses
Rena Wakama, the 32-year-old head coach of Nigeria's female basketball team, D'Tigress, has been named the best coach at the Paris 2024 Olympics.
Wakama's incredible leadership and strategic prowess guided the Nigerian team to unprecedented success, making them the first African country to qualify for the quarter-finals of the Olympic basketball tournament
Born to Nigerian parents in North Carolina, Wakama chose to represent her home country after college in the US. She first played for Nigeria at the 2015 Women's Afrobasket tournament in Cameroon.
Since taking over as coach of D'Tigress in June 2023, Wakama has been chasing record-breaking moments.
Just a month after her appointment, she led the Nigerian female basketball team to the Women's Afrobasket title in Kigali, Rwanda, making history as the first female coach to win the tournament since its inception in 1966.
At the Paris 2024 Olympics, Wakama's D'Tigress made history by defeating top-ranked teams like Australia and Canada.
In a blog post on Sunday, FIBA praised Wakama’s D’Tigress for putting up the “most impactful performance by an African team in history” at the Olympic basketball competitions.
The International Basketball Federation, more commonly known by the French acronym FIBA (Fédération Internationale de Basketball), describes the leadership of Wakama as one of the “main drivers of Nigeria’s unprecedented success” at the tournament.
“Nigeria made everyone sit up and take notice by beating Australia on opening day and that was the first time they had won a Group phase game,” the post reads.
“A few days later and Nigeria stunned Canada to become the first African team to take two wins at the Games, once again their tenacious defense providing the platform for success.
“Even more impressive, this secured them a ticket to the knockout phase and they became the first African team in history, men or women, to play in the Olympic Quarter-Finals.
“Their campaign eventually came to a close when they were beaten by USA, but even then they showed their fighting spirit and qualities until the very end,” it concluded.
An emotional Wakama had this to say after the historic win against Canada: "When we are focused on something, and when we all come together, we are powerful. Our whole team, support staff, and coaches, we have the same mindset – a winning mindset.”
D'Tigress's journey at the Paris Olympics may have concluded without a medal, but for coach Rena Wakama, leading the Nigerian team transcends mere employment.
She expressed her pride in a chat with a reporter stating, "I'm so happy. We did this in one year, and this is just the beginning. I'm Nigerian; this is home. I wanted to inspire and build where I'm from."
Under her guidance, the team made history by reaching the quarter-finals, marking a significant achievement for African basketball.
Wakama's recognition as the best coach at the Paris 2024 Olympics is therefore a testament to her exceptional leadership, strategic thinking, and ability to inspire her team to greatness.
Her achievement no doubt serves as an inspiration for young girls aspiring to excel in basketball and coaching.
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