Rena Wakama is a former professional Basketball player and the current head coach of Nigerian Female Senior Basketball team, D’Tigress. Rena has made record with the team at the current Olympic Games Paris 2024 where she led D’Tigress to their first ever Olympics quarter finals in history.
Let’s delve into some fascinating stories and facts about Rena Wakama, the Nigerian agile and brilliant award winning coach.
Early Life and Education
Rena Wakama was born on the 11th of April, 1992 in Raleigh, North Carolina, United States.
Parents and State of Origin
Her parents, Johnson Wakama and Rosana Oba, are natives of Okrika, Rivers State, Nigeria.
Education
She holds a bachelor’s degree in Therapeutic Recreation from Western Carolina University and a master’s degree in Business Administration from Manhattan College.
Playing Career
While at Western Carolina University (WCU), Rena played for the Western Carolina Catamounts for four years.
After college, she joined the Nigerian national women’s basketball team, D’Tigress, and played in the 2015 Women’s Afrobasket tournament in Cameroon, where Nigeria finished third.
Rena also represented Nigeria’s First Bank at the FIBA Africa Champions Cup for Women during her playing career.
Coaching Career
Rena Wakama served as the director of women’s basketball operations at Manhattan College for her first two years.
In her third year, she became an assistant coach, focusing on talent development and serving as the team’s academics and community service liaison.
In 2023, she made history by becoming the first female head coach of D’Tigress, Nigeria’s national women’s basketball team.
Under her leadership, D’Tigress became the first African team, male or female, to qualify for the quarterfinals of basketball at the Olympics during the 2024 Olympic Games in Paris.
Social Media
Rena Wakama seems to be active on Instagram, X(formerly Twitter), and LinkedIn.
Click the links below to access her handles.
