Meet D’Tigress head coach, Rena Wakama

News360 Nigeria highlights brief facts about Rena Wakama, first female head coach of Nigeria’s women basketball team, D’Tigress.

Rena Wakama, a Nigerian professional basketball coach and former player, is the first female head coach for D’Tigress, Nigeria’s female basketball team and an assistant coach at Tulane University.

On Monday, she achieved a historic victory for Team Nigeria, D’Tigress, defeating Australia 75-62.

The Nigerian squad delivered a performance that was marked by agility, accuracy, and unwavering resolve, being inspired by Wakama’s strategic acumen.

Here’s what you should know about Rena Wakama

Birth

Although Rena was born in Raleigh, North Carolina on April 11, 1992, she hails Rena from Okrika in Rivers State, Nigeria and was raised by Johnson Wakama and Rosana Oba, her parents.

Education

Wakama graduated from Western Carolina University with a bachelor’s degree in therapeutic recreation and Manhattan College with a master’s degree in business administration.

Career

Wakama’s early passion for basketball was sparked by her cousin Onimisi Aiyede. She spent four years as a player for the Western Carolina Catamounts while attending WCU.

After graduating from college, she immediately joined the D’Tigress, representing Nigeria in the 2015 Women’s Afrobasket tournament held in Cameroon, where the team placed third.

Wakama participated in the FIBA Africa Champions Cup for Women as a member of Nigeria’s First Bank team, where she gained valuable experience and knowledge of elite competition.

Coaching experience

Wakama relocated to Manhattan College, where she started out as the team’s operations director for women’s basketball.

In her third year, she was promoted to assistant coach. She furthered her expertise in this role by managing her volunteer and academic responsibilities and honing her coaching skills.

She became the first female head coach of D’Tigress, the national female basketball team of Nigeria, in 2023.

Accomplishments

Wakama made history after her team won the AFRO Basket 2023 in Rwanda with an overwhelming and unprecedented victory. She became the first female coach to lead her team to the competition’s final and ultimately to victory.

She made history once more at the 2024 Summer Olympics in Paris when she guided her team to an unexpected win over Australia.