Amy Okonkwo is now Nigeria’s most decorated Most Valuable Player in AfroBasket history, and she is only 28 years old. Born in the United States but enthusiastically representing Nigeria, the Bourges forward won the tournament’s MVP award for the second consecutive year, adding the 2025 honor to her 2023 crown.
Only three Nigerian players have won the AfroBasket MVP title prior to Okonkwo: Adaora Elonu in 2021, Ezinne Kalu in 2019, and Mfon Udoka in 2005. With her consecutive victories, Okonkwo is currently the only Nigerian great to reach the highest level.
This accomplishment puts her in prestigious continental company and solidifies her legacy in Nigerian basketball. The only players to win two MVP honors at the AfroBasket are Okonkwo, Nacissela Maurício of Angola, and Aya Traoré of Senegal. The only person still at the top of the all-time chart is Mame Maty Mbengue of Senegal, who earned three MVP awards in 1993, 1997, and 2000.
During the 2025 event, Okonkwo made an impression that was both graceful and powerful. She averaged 14 points, six rebounds, and an efficiency rating of 15.6 over the course of five games. She answered with a full 40-minute performance, scoring 19 points against a physically strong Malian team in a final that required everything of its players.
Alongside Cierra Dillard (Senegal), Delicia Washington (South Sudan), Jane Asinde (Uganda), and Sika Kone (Mali), she was the star of the All-Tournament Team.
Rena Wakama, the innovative head coach of D’Tigress, created history from the sidelines while Okonkwo was on the floor.
Wakama was the first woman to coach Nigeria’s national women’s basketball team in 2023. She also made history that year by being the first female coach to win the AfroBasket championship. Now, two years later, she is the first female head coach to have won the title twice.
In 2025, the 33-year-old’s leadership was once more crucial. Under her leadership, Nigeria’s D’Tigress finished the competition undefeated, maintaining their perfect AfroBasket record since 2015. In addition to maintaining their winning streak, their 78–64 victory over Mali in the final guaranteed them a spot in the 2026 FIBA Women’s World Cup pre-qualifiers.
Wakama’s tactical prowess as a coach was demonstrated both on the international scene and in the AfroBasket championships. She orchestrated one of the tournament’s biggest upsets at the 2024 Olympic Games in Paris, when Nigeria overcame Canada 79-70 to become the first African team—male or female—to advance to the Olympic basketball quarterfinals.
Her achievement cemented her as one of the most esteemed young coaches in the sport and earned her the FIBA’s Best Coach title.
Wakama exemplifies a special fusion of global experience, superior academic standing, and strategic vision. She played professionally in the UK and represented Nigeria at the 2015 AfroBasket, although she was unable to play on the court because of a registration issue. She was a four-year letterman at Western Carolina University.
In addition to winning championships, Okonkwo and Wakama are redefining the narrative of basketball in Nigeria and Africa. Despite playing two distinct roles and representing the same generations of athletes, they are committed to taking D’Tigress to new heights.
When Okonkwo made her debut for D’Tigress at the 2021 AfroBasket, she averaged 9.4 points and 4.2 rebounds on her way to gold, marking the beginning of her road to becoming a continental powerhouse. She became the first Nigerian to record two double-doubles in a single tournament when she was selected to the 2023 All-Star team. She demonstrated this year that her performance wasn’t an anomaly.
In addition to being personal honors, Okonkwo’s consecutive MVP awards highlight Nigeria’s ongoing tactical and technical dominance in African women’s basketball. Her supremacy represents the D’Tigress team’s transformation into one of the most feared teams in the world.
