The D’tigress FIBA World Cup roster offers Rena Wakama and her girls a chance to turn African dominance into a competitive edge at the world level.
Rena is graduating from a former D’Tigress player to attending her first World Cup as a coach. 34-year-old Rena Wakama will achieve another milestone in her young career, leading Nigeria into the FIBA World Cup tournament in Berlin.
Rena Wakama: The History Maker
Two years ago in Paris, she became the first coach ever to qualify a Nigerian team for the quarterfinals at an Olympic Games.
Two years later, she defended her Afrobasket title, becoming the first woman coach to achieve the feat.
“I was talking to somebody else that we are elite in Africa; now the goal is to be elite in the world, and that’s what we are aiming towards.”
To achieve her aim, Rena Wakama selected a 12-team roster featuring debutants, history makers and next-gen stars.
D’Tigress are returning to the World Cup after 8 years, hoping to improve on their historic 8th-place finish in 2018.
Nigeria will kick off its 2026 World Cup campaign in Berlin on Friday, taking on Korea in the first group game of the tournament in Berlin, Germany.
D’Tigress FIBA World Cup Roster: The Old First Timers
Amy Okonkwo and Victoria Macaulay have been in the Nigerian team for almost a decade, but they will be debuting at their first-ever FIBA World Cup.
Also, Ezinne Kalu and Promise Amukamara will join Aisha Mohammed (2006 & 2018), as the only Nigerian players to play at two FIBA Women’s World Cups.
The duo enters an exclusive club of great D’Tigress players and are the only surviving members of the 2018 squad.
Nigeria didn’t participate in the 2022 FIBA Women’s World Cup due to government interference and a ban from FIBA.
