The Nigerian Women’s national basketball team has announced their 12-player roster for the 2024 Paris Olympics. Headlined by 2023 AfroBasket MVP Amy Okonkwo, the lineup also includes former Notre Dame star Lauren Ebo and 2015 WNBA Draft pick Promise Amukamara.
Last Updated on
July 25, 2024
After a tumultuous lead-up to the 2024 Paris Olympics, the Nigerian Basketball Federation (NBBF) has announced its official 12-person roster for the global summer games. The experienced squad, missing the leadership of long-time captain Sarah Ogoke, is headlined by 2023 AfroBasket MVP Amy Okonkwo. The roster also features former Notre Dame standout Lauren Ebo and 2015 WNBA Draft pick Promise Amukamara.
Adebola Adeyeye, Pallas-Kunayi Akpanah, Solape Amusan, Promise Amukamara, Elizabeth Balogun, Lauren Ebo, Blessing Ejifor, Nicole Enaosi, Lucy Ibeh, Rita Igbokwe, Christeen Iwuala, Ezinne Kalu, Murjanatu Musa, Amy Okonkwo, Ifunana Okoro, Tomo Taiwo.
To say the very least, the Nigeria women's team's preparations for the upcoming 2023 Paris Olympics has been timorous at best. Just before the Nigerian Basketball Federation (NBBF) announced their preliminary squad for a pre-Olympic training camp in Germany, they were hit with the news that long-time team captain Sarah Ogoke would be unable to participate due to personal reasons.
When the NBBF’s release of the preliminary roster, which conspicuously omitted Ogoke’s name, it was met with shock, anger, and disappointment from fans in Nigeria and internationally. Many initially feared that the experienced guard was retiring from international play. However, Ogoke, a significant loss for the West Africans due to her experience, mentality, and leadership, addressed these concerns during an X/Twitter Spaces conversation with NBBF Media, clarifying the situation.
"I haven't retired, this is not the last you will hear of me playing basketball. It wasn't an easy situation or an easy decision. But we came to an agreement that for now, I'll have to take a back seat for personal reasons that maybe will be disclosed later.
But for now, I really want the attention to be on the girls. Every effort was made for me to be there and play, but this time around, it just wasn't possible. It's not easy not playing and not being there with the team, especially after everything that we've been through in order to get the qualification."
Beyond their initial squad announcement, the Nigerians faced additional challenges preparing for the Olympics. They were defeated in their pre-Olympic friendly matches, losing to Germany 77-63 and Serbia 70-62.
Moreover, just before the official Olympic roster was unveiled, reports about significant issues, including inadequate funding for essential amenities and a lack of direct flight arrangements, began to surface. As a result, the team was reportedly forced to endure an eight-hour drive from Saarbrücken to Berlin, highlighting broader concerns about their overall treatment and logistical support.
[Photography / Imagery Courtesy of FIBA & the Olympics]
