D.Tigress Biography
11 April 1992 saw the birth of Rena Wakama. 32 years of age. The Nigeria Basketball Federation, which oversees basketball in Nigeria, controls the D’Tigress, the country’s women’s national basketball team.
The team competes internationally and represents Nigeria. Nigeria, the current African champions, has one of the best women’s national teams in the continent.
They have won the Women’s Afrobasket Championship six times overall, including four consecutive times.
They triumphed in Bamako, Mali in 2017; Dakar, Senegal, in 2019; Yaounde, Cameroun, in 2021; and Kigali, Rwanda, in 2023.
D’Tigress Wiki Profile
| FIBA ranking | 12.1 (15 February 2024) |
|---|---|
| Joined FIBA | 1964 |
| FIBA zone | FIBA Africa |
| National Federation | Nigerian Basketball Federation |
| Coach | Rena Wakama |
| Nickname(s) | D’Tigress |
| Olympic Games | |
| Appearances | 3 |
| World Cup | |
| Appearances | 2 |
| Medals | Quarter-finals (2018) |
| AfroBasket | |
| Appearances | 15 |
| Medals | (2003, 2005, 2017, 2019, 2021, 2023) (1997, 2015) |
| All Africa Games | |
| Appearances | 8 |
| Medals | Gold: (2003) Silver: (2007, 2015) Bronze: (1978, 1999, 2011) |
D’Tigress Early Life
Early Rena Wakama’s life was influenced by both her Nigerian ancestry and American upbringing.
She was brought up with the values and customs of her Nigerian heritage by her parents, Rosana Oba and Johnson Wakama.
Her early years in Raleigh, North Carolina, offered her a variety of experiences that influenced her basketball career later on.
D’Tigress State Of Origin
Rena Wakama is from Okrika in Nigeria’s Rivers State. Her identity and career have been greatly influenced by her Nigerian heritage.
Wakama’s parents were devout Nigerians who raised her in Raleigh, North Carolina, and her connection to her culture has shaped her life and professional choices.
D’Tigress Education and Early Career
After earning her diploma from Portland’s Benson Polytechnic High School in 1994, she went on to study at DePaul University in Chicago, Illinois, from 1994 to 1998.
She joined the Detroit Shock, a women’s national basketball team based in Auburn Hills, Michigan, after graduating in 1998. Before departing for Portugal for the 1998–1999 season, she played in three games for the squad.
Mfon Udoka has participated in international women’s basketball leagues with many teams, including the Birmingham Power in Birmingham, Alabama (2001); Electra Ramat HaSharon in Israel (2001/2002); Chicago Blaze in Harbin, Chicago (2003); and Houston Comets in Houston, Texas (2003/2004).
In 2004, she signed a contract with the Los Angeles Sparks in Los Angeles, California, for the remainder of the season.
D’Tigress History 2004 Summer Olympics
One of eleven events for which their national teams qualified was basketball, in which the Nigerians competed in the 2004 Summer Olympics.
The twelve teams vying for the title included the Nigerian women’s basketball team.
They participated in Group A with Australia, Brazil, Greece, Japan, and Russia, having secured their spot through a zone qualifying round.
In the first round, the team had a 0–5 record. They triumphed over Korea in the 11/12th place game, finishing 11th out of 12 teams overall.
They made Olympic history by being the first African women’s basketball team to win a game.
Mfon Udoka finished second in the event and led the squad in scoring.
Before playing together for Nigeria, team athletes Itoro Umoh-Coleman and Joanne Aluka attended Hephzibah High School for their high school careers.
2006 FIBA World Championship for Women
Nigeria won the 2005 FIBA Africa Championship for Women, earning them a spot in the 2006 FIBA World Championship.
Along with China, Russia, and the United States, they were assigned to Group C. Senegal, another African team, defeated Nigeria 66–64 in the game for 15/16th place, meaning that Nigeria was not allowed to advance to the next round.
They had a 0–5 tournament record.
Nigeria took part in the Melbourne, Australia-hosted Commonwealth Games in 2006.
Team in 2007
The team participated in the 2007 FIBA Africa Championship for Women, which served as a qualification tournament for African countries hoping to qualify for the Summer Olympics in 2008.
In the 2007 FIBA African Championship, Nigeria advanced to the quarterfinals before falling to Mozambique 69–61.
They defeated Cameroon 63–50 to secure fifth place.
The squad was unable to earn a spot in the Beijing Olympic Games.
The Nigerian team in the 2007 All-Africa Games went undefeated in group play.
They proceeded to the semifinals but were defeated 57–46 by Mozambique.
2009 Nations Cup
Nigeria will play in the 2009 Africa Cup of Nations, which will take place in Libya.
2024 Summer Olympics
The Nigerian women’s basketball team defeated Australia 75-62 in their opening game at the 2024 Summer Olympics in Paris. This marked the squad’s first Olympic triumph in two decades.
The squad was defeated 75–54 by the host country, France, in their second match of the competition.
They defeated their opponent 79-70 in the third game to make history by going to the quarterfinals.
Following this triumph, the team became the first basketball team from Africa—male or female—to get to the Olympic quarterfinals.
D’Tigress Change to Coaching
Rena Wakama joined the Nigerian national team, D’Tigress, in 2015 following a brief playing career.
She took part in the Cameroonian Women’s Afrobasket championship, in which Nigeria placed third.
Her transition from player to coach was greatly aided by this experience, which gave her valuable insights into elite competitiveness and team dynamics.
D’Tigress Work Experience
As part of her professional career, Wakama will play in the FIBA Africa Champions Cup for Women alongside the First Bank squad of Nigeria.
Her ability to sharpen her competitive edge and comprehend the nuances of the game at a high level was greatly enhanced by this experience.
D’Tigress Personal Life
Rena Wakama maintains the privacy of her personal life, including her marital status.
She would rather draw the public’s attention to her contributions to basketball and her career accomplishments.
Wakama’s devotion to her team and career is evidence of her love and enthusiasm for the game.
D’Tigress Instagram
Who is D. Tigress?
The Nigeria Basketball Federation, the country’s regulating organization for basketball, oversees the Nigeria women’s national basketball team, also known as the D’Tigress, which plays women’s basketball internationally.
