“Where there is a will, there is a way.” If there is one proverb that aptly describes Nigeria’s women’s basketball team’s outings in the Paris Olympics, it’s this. The D’Tigress had already impressed all when they had beaten Australia by a 75-62 margin in their opening game. However, fans were tensed when in their next game, the Rena Wakama-led team was defeated by the hosts, France by a 75-54 margin. This raised questions if their first win was just a fluke. Nonetheless, continuing their golden era of basketball, Wakama and her team stunned everyone by beating Canada by a 79-70 margin and shutting the critics, which also earned them a much-deserved call to the knockouts.

One year ago at the same time, Wakama had helped her team win the Afrobasket 2023, which completed Nigeria’s stunning four-peat. Then the head coach impressed everyone with her team’s stellar performances as they earned a call to the quadrennial event. And now with this recent Olympics game, Nigeria has created history as it marks the first time that they have qualified for the quarterfinals. Moreover, they become the first African team (Men or women) to reach this stage at the global sporting event.

Nigeria was placed in Group B along with Australia, Canada, and France – three countries ranked higher and where the basketball infrastructure is much more advanced than that of Nigeria. For the unversed, in the FIBA World rankings, Canada occupies the fifth spot with 653.4 points whereas Nigeria is placed at the 12th spot with 490.1 points. However, it did not deter Wakama from encouraging her mentees to give their best.

Nigeria started off on an equal note in the game against Canada when both teams scored 18 in the first quarter. Subsequently, Nigerian fans jumped with joy when the team did the impossible by limiting Canada to just 5 points in the third quarter while they overpowered them on the other end, scoring 23. With a 60-46 lead, the fourth quarter presented an impossible comeback for Canada and ultimately Nigeria sealed the deal when their star Ezinne Kalu made a layup and helped her team cruise to a comfortable victory.

Looks like the players backed up the plans of their coach in style. As fans got emotional, they reminisced about the exceptional journey of D’Tigress under Wakama.

Rena Wakama has been a beacon of hope for Nigeria

When Wakama was hired as the head coach in June 2023, she knew she had a difficult task ahead. Working on the skills of the players and the team combination, she soon showed improvement as Nigeria lifted the FIBA Women’s AfroBasket for the fourth consecutive time in 2023. This win made her the first woman coach to lift the coveted trophy. Not only that, it sent strong signals to other teams that Nigeria, though in a supposed rebuilding phase, was capable enough to decimate other teams.

This victory marked Nigeria’s four-peat in the tournament, equalling Senegal’s record. As mentioned before, post that, Wakama propelled her squad to qualify for the Olympics and now, at one of the most crucial moments in the tournament, Nigeria upset Canada.

Perhaps Wakama’s hard work and ethics have helped her nation prove its mettle. This win shows that it is not only a triumph for Nigeria but for basketball as a sport, which is gaining popularity in Africa too. As for fans, they can wish luck to Nigeria for their upcoming games.

Stay tuned for more such updates and join us for the exciting pilot episode of the “Dual Threat Show” as our host BG12 sits down with Georgia Bulldogs star and SEC All-Freshman Team Selection, Silas Demary Jr.