Rena Wakama Biography, Early Life, Career, Husband, Net Worth
Rena Wakama (born 11 April 1992) is a Nigerian professional basketball coach and former player. She is the head coach of the Nigeria Senior Women’s Basketball Team and an assistant coach for the Chicago Sky.
Nigeria’s women’s basketball team has won everyone’s hearts and put African basketball on the map by becoming the continent’s first team (male or female) to get to the Olympic quarterfinals. The women, led by head coach Rena Wakama, made history by defeating Canada 79-70.
While the players have been outstanding throughout, praise must go to Wakama, who has entirely altered the Nigerian basketball landscape in a year.
Rena Wakama Biography and Early Life
Rena Wakama was born on April 11, 1992, in Raleigh, North Carolina. Wakama was born in Raleigh, North Carolina, to Johnson Wakama and Rosana Oba, who are from Okrika, Rivers State, Nigeria. She earned a bachelor’s degree in therapeutic recreation from Western Carolina University and a master’s degree in business administration from Manhattan College.
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Career
Wakama’s love of basketball was inspired by her cousin, Onimisi Aiyede, at a young age. She spent four years playing for the Western Carolina Catamounts while attending WCU. She immediately left college to join the D’Tigress, where she competed in the 2015 Women’s Afrobasket tournament in Cameroon, where Nigeria finished third. Throughout her playing career, she represented Nigeria’s First Bank in the FIBA Africa Champions Cup for Women.
She was the director of women’s basketball operations at Manhattan College for her first two years before becoming an assistant coach in her third year, where she continued to develop her skills while also working as the team’s academic and community service liaison.
In 2023, she became D’Tigress’s first female head coach, as well as the first Nigerian National Female Basketball Team coach to win the FIBA AfroBasket Women competition since its inception in 1966. Under her leadership, Nigeria’s D’Tigress became the first African team, male or female, to go to the quarterfinals of the Olympic basketball tournament, defeating Canada 79-70. She was named Best Coach of the Tournament by FIBA for leading the Nigerian team to a record performance at the Paris 2024 Olympics.
Rena Wakama’s Impact on D’Tigress
Rena Wakama declared her name aloud as she led D’Tigress to their fourth straight 2023 AfroBasket championship. She was the first woman to win the competition. Well, it was just the beginning of many accomplishments for Wakama, who eventually helped her team qualify for the Olympics.
And just when everyone believed Nigeria would have another Olympics to forget, Wakama’s team surprised everyone by defeating Australia in their opening game, giving Nigeria its first victory in 20 years. However, they received a boost when hosts France outperformed them in their second encounter.
Nevertheless, with the triumph over Canada, D’Tigress must feel optimistic about the path ahead. Rena Wakama’s rise from under-the-radar person to trailblazing head coach has inspired a continent. Her leadership has propelled Nigeria’s women’s basketball team to historic Olympic glory, sparking hope and pride throughout Africa, and she will attempt to carry the story into the quarterfinals.
Stay tuned for more similar developments, and join us for the thrilling pilot episode of the “Dual Threat Show” as our host, BG12, interviews Georgia Bulldogs star and SEC All-Freshman Team selection Silas Demary Jr.
Net Worth
She has an estimated net worth of $800,000
Social Media
Instagram: @_coachre
