Nigeria’s women’s basketball team beat Canada in a 79-70 win at Stade Pierre-Mauroy. It was a significant milestone as Nigeria became Africa’s first team to advance to the quarterfinals. One player who made a difference for Nigeria was Pallas Kunaiyi-Akpanah. Standing at 6’2″ (1.88m) and a powerful center/power forward, she has evolved into a key figure in the international game with excellent rebounding ability and strong defensive potential.

Pallas Kunaiyi-Akpanah was born on July 12, 1997, in Port Harcourt, Rivers State, Nigeria. She has established a highly regarded position in women’s basketball, making waves within the collegiate and professional settings. Her rise from those humble beginnings in Nigeria to global stardom is hard work, incredible talent, and a love for the game in perfect mix.

Early Life

Pallas Kunaiyi-Akpanah came to the game of basketball fairly late. She started playing basketball for the first time at 14. Her athleticism showed, however, right away when she attended a camp known as “Hope for Girls” set up by Mobolaji Akiode in Abuja, Nigeria.

One such turning point in Kunaiyi-Akpanah’s life came when she was 15. She moved from Nigeria to the United States to study at Rabun Gap-Nacoochee School in Rabun County, Georgia—the decision that would very soon be most instrumental in her growth as a basketball player. Across her high school years, she made more than ripples in basketball. As an athlete, she demonstrated how diversely talented she was by becoming engaged in track and field events.

Her high school statistics were phenomenal where she averaged nearly 10 points and over 11 rebounds per game. She helped her team finish second in the 2014 State Tournament, with a record of 21-5. She also played travel basketball during the holidays from school. Most interestingly, her father, Daemi Kunaiyi-Akpanah, was a former member of the Nigerian House of Representatives, where he represented Rivers State, making her background very unique.

Basketball Career

It wasn’t until college that Kunaiyi-Akpanah blossomed. Across her four years at Northwestern University, she developed into a rebounding machine and a defensive anchor for the Wildcats. Her development was incredible, moving from very modest averages as a freshman and sophomore to averages of 11.3 points and 11.9 rebounds per game in her junior year. She had 18 double-doubles and ranked eighth in the nation. During her senior year, she averaged 11.1 points and 11 rebounds per game to go with First Team All-Big Ten honors.

Probably one of the most exciting things about Kunaiyi-Akpanah’s college career was her rebounding ability. She became only the second player in Northwestern history to grab more than 1,000 rebounds. Many other accolades marked her career at Northwestern, including multiple appearances on the Winter Academic All-Big Ten team.

After going undrafted in the 2019 WNBA Draft, Kunaiyi-Akpanah briefly signed a training camp contract with the Chicago Sky before being waived. She has since taken her craft to Europe, where she continues to turn heads. She played in ensuing seasons for various teams, including Pallacanestro Vigarano in Italy, and helped the latter win the Belgian Championship, and Faenza Basket Project in Italy from 2021 to date.

She also accumulated some experience playing for local international clubs, which was very instrumental in preparing her for the rigors of the Olympic competition. Noted among the performances for Pallacanestro Vigarano was a double-double with 11 points and an impressive 27 rebounds against Broni.

Looking forward to the Olympic quarterfinals

Kunaiyi-Akpanah had her journey with the Nigerian national team in 2019 when she played in the pre-Olympic Qualifying tournament in Mozambique. She went on to represent the team in several others like the 2020 FIBA Women’s Olympic Qualifying Tournaments in Belgrade. Kunaiyi-Akpanah has performed more recently in many games at both ends of the court. In the 2023 AfroBasket, she averaged 3.6 points and 8.2 rebounds per game.

Kunaiyi-Akpanah has made history as the Paris Olympics get underway with the 79-70 win against Canada, sealing Nigeria’s place and doubling the total wins for an African women’s team in the history of the Olympics. The Nigerian team went into the tournament with an excellent all-round display of physical style and swarming full-court defense, racking up a tournament-leading 40 steals over three games.

The role that Kunaiyi-Akpanah has played in making this history is not small. According to Coach Wakama, she belongs to a team of fighters who will not be told that they do not belong, and Kunaiyi-Akpanah represents the spirit and class that has powered Nigerian basketball to new frontiers.

Stay tuned for more such updates and join us for the exciting second episode of the “Dual Threat Show” as our host BG12 sits down with Georgia Bulldogs star and Mountain West All-Freshman Team Selection, Asia Avinger.