D’Tigress head coach Rena Wakama has unveiled the final 12-player roster for the 2025 FIBA Women’s AfroBasket Championship, set to take place in Abidjan, Côte d’Ivoire, from July 26 to August 3, 2025. The Nigerian women’s basketball team, aiming for a historic fifth consecutive continental title, features a blend of experienced stars and rising talents, headlined by captain Amy Okonkwo, alongside Promise Amukamara, Sarah Ogoke, Ezinne Kalu, Murjanatu Musa, Victoria Macaulay, Elizabeth Balogun, Blessing Ejiofor, Ifunaya Okoro, Vera Ojenuwa, Nicole Enabosi, and Palla Kunayi. The squad, selected from a 20-player provisional list, is poised to face Mozambique and Rwanda in Group D.
Wakama, who made history in 2023 as the first female coach to win the AfroBasket title and earned FIBA’s Coach of the Year award at the 2024 Paris Olympics, expressed confidence in the team’s preparation. The National Sports Commission (NSC) has bolstered the team’s morale with improved welfare packages, including increased bonuses and allowances. NSC Director General Hon. Bukola Olopade praised the team, stating, “You are the pride of our nation. Your winning spirit inspires millions of Nigerians.”
D’Tigress, with four straight titles from 2017 to 2023, including three finals victories over Senegal, remains Africa’s dominant force. Their recent Olympic quarterfinal appearance, a first for any African basketball team, has heightened expectations. As preparations intensify in Abuja, the team’s mix of veterans like Kalu and emerging stars like Ojenuwa positions Nigeria to extend its continental supremacy, with fans and analysts anticipating a strong campaign in Abidjan.
