Rena Wakama

Last updated
Rena Wakama
D'Tigress
PositionHead coach
Personal information
Born (1992-04-11) April 11, 1992 (age 32)
Raleigh, North Carolina
Career information
College Western Carolina University [1]
Manhattan College

Rena Wakama (born 11 April 1992) is a Nigerian professional basketball coach and former player who is the head coach for the Nigeria Senior Women's Basketball Team and an assistant coach at Tulane University. [2] [3] [4] [5]

Contents

Early life and education

Wakama was born in Raleigh, North Carolina to Johnson Wakama and Rosana Oba whom are natives of Okrika, Rivers State, Nigeria. [6] She holds a bachelor's degree in Therapeutic Recreation from the Western Carolina University, and a master's degree in Business Administration from Manhattan College. [7] [8]

Career

Wakama's love for basketball was inspired by her cousin; Onimisi Aiyede at a young age. [6]

As a player

While she was at WCU, she played for the Western Carolina Catamounts for four years. Immediately she left college, she joined the D'Tigress where she played for the team at the 2015 Women's Afrobasket tournament in Cameroon where Nigeria finished third. [9] She also represented Nigeria's First Bank at the FIBA Africa Champions Cup for Women during her career as a player.

As a coach

For her first two years at Manhattan College, she served as the director of women's basketball operations, she became an assistant coach in her third year where she kept on developing talents while serving as the team's academics and community service liaison.

In 2023, she became the first female Head Coach of D’Tigress, [10] and became the first Nigerian National Female Basketball Team coach to win the FIBA AfroBasket Women competition since it began in 1966. [11] [12] [13] At the 2024 Olympic Games in Paris, under her leadership, Nigeria’s D’Tigress became the first African team, male or female, to qualify for the quarterfinals of basketball at the Olympics after beating Canada 79-70. [14] [15] She was awarded the Best Coach of the tournament by FIBA for guiding the Nigerian team to a historic outing at the Paris 2024 Olympics. [16]

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References

  1. ↑ Udoh, Colin (2023-07-10). "Oderah Chidom quits Nigeria Women's basketball team". ESPN.com. Retrieved 2024-04-24.
  2. ↑ "Paris 2024: Wakama Invites 15 Players For Olympic Qualifiers". Leadership News. 2024-02-04. Retrieved 2024-04-23.
  3. ↑ "U.S-based Nigerian, Wakama, is new D'Tigress coach". The Guardian Nigeria News - Nigeria and World News. 2023-07-01. Retrieved 2024-04-24.
  4. ↑ Adewale, Abiodun (2023-08-02). "AfroBasket: D'Tigress star Okonkwo salutes Wakama". Punch Newspapers. Retrieved 2024-04-24.
  5. ↑ Bajela, Ebenezer (2023-07-01). "Applause as NBBF appoints Wakama new D'Tigress head coach". Punch Newspapers. Retrieved 2024-04-24.
  6. 1 2 Shehu, Idris (2023-08-06). "CLOSE-UP: Rena Wakama, the first female coach to win Afrobasket title". TheCable. Retrieved 2024-04-23.
  7. ↑ Udugba, Anthony (2023-08-08). "Rena Wakama: Road to becoming first female basketball coach winner". Businessday NG. Retrieved 2024-04-23.
  8. ↑ Murengerantwari, Christianne (2023-08-02). "FIBA Women's AfroBasket: Nigeria's Rena Wakama a symbol of empowerment". The New Times. Retrieved 2024-04-24.
  9. ↑ "My work with D'Tigress 'll be marvelous". Vanguard News. 2023-07-15. Retrieved 2024-04-23.
  10. ↑ Jide, Olusola Jide (2023-08-12). "Inspiring story of victorious D'Tigress coach, Rena Wakama". Daily Trust. Retrieved 2024-04-23.
  11. ↑ Reporters, Our (2023-08-11). "Seven things you need to know about Rena Wakama". Punch Newspapers. Retrieved 2024-04-23.
  12. ↑ "Women's Basketball Assistant Coach Rena Wakama Guides Nigeria Women's National Team to Their Fourth FIBA AfroBasket Title". Stony Brook University Athletics. 2024-04-16. Retrieved 2024-04-24.
  13. ↑ Sports, Pulse (2023-08-06). "D'Tigress: Amy Okonkwo wins MVP, Rena Wakama celebrates Afrobasket history". Pulse Sports Nigeria. Retrieved 2024-04-24.
  14. ↑ Sports, Pulse (4 August 2024). "D'Tigress beat Canada to make history: Nigeria becomes 1st African team to qualify for Olympic Quarter-Finals". Pulse Sports Nigeria. Retrieved 4 August 2024.
  15. ↑ Alaka, Jide (4 August 2024). "UPDATED: Paris 2024: Wakama-led D'Tigress make history in Lille". Premium Times Nigeria. Retrieved 4 August 2024.
  16. ↑ "Rena Wakama is Paris 2024 Best Coach". www.fiba.basketball. 2024-08-11. Retrieved 2024-08-11.
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