Rena Wakama takes over D’Tigress head coach
A former national team player, Rena Wakama, has been appointed by the Nigeria Basketball Federation (NBBF) as head coach for Team Nigeria Women’s basketball, D’Tigress.
Neptune Prime reports that Wakama’s appointment was announced on the team’s Twitter handle on Friday.
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Wakama replaces the team’s former head coach, Otis Hughley who resigned from his role.
Wakama, until her appointment was a former national team player and currently an assistant coach at Stony Brooks University in the United States of America (USA).
Our new Coach!, Rena Wakama!!
Wakama, a former Nigerian national team player, currently serves as an Assistant Coach at Stony Brooks University, USA.
Her two year contract went into effect on Friday, June 30. ? pic.twitter.com/HfTUxSRyHV
— #DTigress (@DtigressNG) June 30, 2023
She is from Rivers State.
Wakama was a four-year letterman at the University of Western Carolina and also played professional basketball in the United Kingdom (UK).
She received a bachelor’s degree in Therapeutic Recreation from Western Carolina in 2014 and an MBA from Manhattan in 2019.
Wakama is in her fourth year as an assistant coach at Manhattan College after serving for two years as Director of Women’s Basketball Operations.
As an assistant coach, Wakama oversees the development of the wing/guard position players, while also serving as the team’s academics and community service liaison.
Under her mentorship, the Jaspers earned a program-high 3.61 team GPA and placed fifth nationally in community service hours for all of Division I women’s basketball.
Wakama helped develop Davis and Brazil Harvey-Carr to earn post-season All-MAAC honours during the 2021/22 season.
