LEADERSHIP Awards: D’Tigress Is Sportsperson of the Year 2023

The Nigeria national women’s basketball team, D’Tigress, in 2023 wrote their name in gold by winning a historic fourth consecutive AfroBasket title. The team defeated arch rivals Senegal 84-74 in a thrilling final match to emerge champions of Africa. 

The victory makes it the sixth time Nigeria has won the title and makes the team the second African side after Senegal to win the women’s AfroBasket title four times in a row, extending their unbeaten run to 23 games in the championship. The last time Nigeria’s ladies lost a game in the women’s AfroBasket championship was in 2015: they lost to Cameroon in the semi-finals.

After struggling to beat Mozambique 59-52 in the quarter-finals to set up a last-four showdown with the hosts, Rwanda, whom they had defeated in their previous two meetings in 2009 and 2011, the African champions outclassed hosts Rwanda 79-48 in the semi-finals and continued with their fine display under new coach Rena Wakama with a victory over Senegal.

Truly, not many gave this set of D’Tigress a chance going into the tournament, as the team was largely made of rookies. It had only two experienced players, as several regular faces declined to play for the country again following the federal government’s decision to withdraw the team from the 2022 FIBA Basketball Women’s World Cup in Sydney, Australia, in the heat of the leadership crisis that dogged the Nigeria Basketball Federation (NBBF).

However, right from their first game against Congo DR, the Coach Rena Wakama-tutored side continually surprised their critics. In blowing away hosts Rwanda in the semi-final, D’Tigress sent a message they were going for the top prize, and that was what they did in the final against Senegal at the BK Arena in Kigali, to the admiration of their teeming fans across the globe. 

With a 43-31point lead at half time, D’Tigress were halfway through to achieving their target. But as one would expect, the Senegalese ladies came fighting back after half time and indeed won the third quarter 26-19 to reduce Nigeria’s lead going into the final quarter to just five points. But with all to play for in the last quarter, D’Tigress stepped up their game when it mattered the most and were able to fend off the stiff challenge from the Senegalese ladies, won the nervy last quarter 22-17 and effectively won the game 84-74.

After going 12 years without any trophy, D’Tigress were crowned champions in 2017 and have followed up with victories in 2019, 2021 and now 2023 in amazing fashion.

Interestingly, the then newly appointed D’Tigress head coach, Rena Wakama, became the first woman to lead a team to the AfroBasket title, and, with her in charge, many believe there is room to dream of bigger things in the days ahead. 

Nigeria’s Amy Okonkwo, who finished the final with 23 points, 10 rebounds, and 2 assists, was named the Most Valuable Player of the tournament.

Following its heroics, the team has cemented its place in AfroBasket history. We congratulate the team and the coaching crew on a commendable performance and urge them to remain focused as they pursue their dreams for greater feats.