With Rena Wakama at the helm of affairs as the head coach, Nigeria made history by having the first female coach to lead her team to victory in the FIBA Women’s AfroBasket. This achievement reflects the growing prominence of women in coaching roles in African basketball.
Wakama also became the first female coach to win the competition since its inception in 1966. D’Tigress won the last three editions of the Women’s Afrobasket and remain unbeaten in every African competition.
The coach maintained the starting five of the previous game; Amy Okonkwo, Palla Kunaiyi-Akpanah, Elizabeth Balogun, Sarah Ogoke and Blessing Ejiofor.
The final quarter was fiercely contested, but D’Tigress dug in to secure a 10-point victory to etch their name in African basketball history.
Only Senegal, who won the biennial competition uninterruptedly from 1974 to 1981, have achieved a four-peat in the history of Women’s Afrobasket.
The team won the 2017 trophy in Bamako and claimed the second title in Dakar, Senegal, in 2019, before completing the three-peat in Cameroon in 2021.
As the celebrations ensue, fans and basketball enthusiasts across the continent are delighted by the thrilling display of talent and teamwork exhibited by both teams. The 2023 FIBA Women’s AfroBasket will undoubtedly be remembered as a memorable and historic tournament.
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