Rena Wakama, Nigeria’s top basketball coach, has been named the ‘best coach’ of this year’s Olympic Games after leading the D’Tigress to historic successes in Paris.
The 32-year-old was awarded by FIBA ​​and Olympic organizers for leading D’Tigress to the quarterfinals of the tournament for the first time in its history.
Nigeria won their first basketball game at the Olympics under the tutelage of the former college basketball player.
D’Tigress opened their Olympic campaign by beating top-ranked Australia in a huge upset. The North Carolina-born coach also led his team to a surprise victory over fifth-ranked Canada in the final group game, sealing their first appearance in the knockout stages. It was the first time an African country qualified for the 16th stage of the Olympic basketball tournament, men’s or women’s.

Nigeria eventually lost to the United States in the quarterfinals.
In a message published on Sunday, FIBA ​​congratulated the Wakama D’Tigress for achieving “the most remarkable performance of an African team in history” during the Olympic basketball competitions.
She also described Wakama’s leadership as one of the “key drivers of Nigeria’s unprecedented success” in the tournament.
“Nigeria blew everyone away by beating Australia on the opening day and it was the first time they won a group stage match,” read the message. “A few days later, Nigeria surprised Canada by becoming the first African team to win two games at the Games, once again their tenacious defense providing them with a springboard to success.
“Even more impressively, it allowed them to secure a ticket to the knockout stage and become the first African team in history, men or women, to compete in the Olympic quarter-finals.
“Their campaign ended when they were beaten by the United States, but even there they showed their fighting spirit and their qualities until the end.”

FIBA also described Wakama as “one of the youngest coaches in Olympic history who marked a new turning point for Nigeria and African basketball.”
Born in Raleigh, North Carolina, United States, he was appointed coach of the Nigerian women’s basketball team in June 2023. In August 2023, the women led by Wakama defeated Senegal 84-74 in the final of the Afrobasket Women’s Championship. This victory makes Nigeria the second African country to win the Afrobasket women’s title four times in a row.