D’Tigers assistant coach and Rivers Hoopers head coach Ogoh Odaudu has attributed the D’Tigress’ early exit from the FIBA Women’s Basketball World Cup to the late arrival of head coach Rena Wakama in camp.
Odaudu believes Wakama’s delayed arrival significantly affected the team’s preparations, arguing that the coach did not have sufficient time to properly introduce her tactical ideas before Nigeria began its campaign in Berlin.
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Wakama only joined the D’Tigress camp four days before the start of the tournament, having remained with her WNBA team, Chicago Sky, to fulfil her coaching responsibilities.
According to Odaudu, the limited preparation period made it difficult for Wakama to effectively implement her tactical approach and ensure the players fully understood what was required of them before facing some of the world’s best teams.
“Her late arrival contributed immensely to the team’s failure because she didn’t have enough time to incorporate her tactics into the team.”
The D’Tigress endured a difficult campaign, losing all three of their Group B matches and ultimately missing out on a place in the knockout stages.
Nigeria began the tournament with an 81-99 defeat to South Korea, before suffering another narrow loss against Hungary and subsequently falling heavily to France in their final group fixture.
While the players showed flashes of resilience during the competition, particularly in their fightback against Hungary, the results ultimately brought a disappointing end to Nigeria’s World Cup campaign.
For Odaudu, the circumstances surrounding the team’s preparation should therefore form part of the conversation when assessing the outcome.
He believes a national team competing at the highest level needs adequate time together, particularly when the coaching staff intends to introduce tactical adjustments ahead of a major international tournament.
The situation also highlights the challenge faced by national-team coaches who have to balance international responsibilities with commitments to clubs, particularly in leagues such as the WNBA.
Despite the disappointing campaign, the D’Tigress remain one of Africa’s leading women’s basketball teams, and the experience in Berlin provides lessons that could be valuable as the team looks towards its next international assignments.
For Odaudu, the lesson is clear: when the margin for error is small at a World Cup, four days may simply not be enough time to build a team around a coach’s tactical ideas.
