When Rena Wakama stepped into the highlight as head coach of D’Tigress in 2023, the vitality shifted. It wasn’t simply one other teaching appointment — it was a daring new chapter ready to be written. And write it, she did. In ink, sweat, and unmatched ardour.

Quick ahead, not even two years later, and Wakama has fully flipped the script. She’s not simply making historical past — she is the historical past. Beneath her watch, D’Tigress clinched back-to-back FIBA Ladies’s AfroBasket titles, making her the first girl ever to take action. Simply let that sink in.

On the newest showdown in Abidjan, the Nigerian squad crushed Mali 78–64 within the closing. That win didn’t simply earn them one other trophy — it prolonged their unbeaten AfroBasket streak to 29 video games and locked in a fifth straight continental title. That’s not simply dominance. That’s legacy. And the popularity got here pouring in — nationwide honours, money rewards, and new houses for gamers and workers. However on the coronary heart of all of it stood one girl, the one feminine coach on the event: Rena Wakama.

And but, she’s not pausing to bask within the glow. She’s constructing one thing deeper. “It’s the Nigerian spirit,” Wakama said post-match, radiating pleasure. “We’re resilient… We’re at all times taking part in for one thing greater than ourselves.” And that spirit? It’s contagious.

Even with simply six coaching periods earlier than the event — sure, six — Wakama’s group didn’t flinch. Whereas different groups prepped for months, Nigeria stayed grounded and laser-focused. “This was a psychological event,” she mentioned. “We selected to not complain. We stayed mentally robust.” And that mindset translated into energy performs, relentless protection, and fearless ambition.

Past the courtroom, Wakama’s presence is a pressure. She’s exhibiting girls all over the place — from grassroots ballers to rising sports activities leaders — that excellence isn’t only for the boys. With assistant coach Wani Muganguzi by her aspect, she’s created a system rooted in perception, unity, and function.

The stats? They don’t lie. First feminine coach to win AfroBasket. Led Nigeria to their first-ever Olympic wins and a quarterfinal end. Named FIBA Paris 2024 Finest Coach. However let’s be actual — the awards simply affirm what the sport already is aware of.

Rena Wakama didn’t come to play it protected. She got here to rewrite the foundations.