The announcement was made on Thursday via the league’s official website, confirming Wakama’s appointment alongside seven other head coaches for the upcoming campaign.
Unrivaled, an American women’s professional basketball league co-founded in 2023 by WNBA stars Breanna Stewart and Napheesa Collier, made its debut in January 2025 with six teams. The fast-growing league will expand to eight teams for its second season, set to tip off in January 2026.
Wakama, who guided Nigeria’s D’Tigress to back-to-back FIBA Women’s AfroBasket titles in 2023 and 2025, will lead Hive BC in its first-ever league appearance. The league statement highlighted her trailblazing career and international success.
“Rena Wakama will lead Hive BC in the team’s Unrivaled debut, following her first season as an assistant coach for the Chicago Sky,” the league said.
“Wakama also serves as head coach of the Nigerian Women’s National Team and made history in 2024 when D’Tigress became the first African team, men’s or women’s, to reach the quarterfinals of the Olympic Games.”
Since taking charge of D’Tigress in June 2023, Wakama has achieved remarkable milestones, becoming the first female coach to win the Women’s AfroBasket title and repeating the feat two years later. Her leadership also helped Nigeria’s women’s team reach new heights on the global stage with their historic quarterfinal run at the Paris 2024 Olympics.
Before her rise on the international scene, the 32-year-old served as an assistant coach at Tulane University and Stony Brook University in the United States. She began her coaching journey at Manhattan College, where she worked as Director of Basketball Operations before transitioning into a coaching role.
A former Western Carolina University player, Wakama’s transition from player to coach has been marked by steady progress and consistent success — a trajectory that now brings her to one of the most talked-about new platforms in women’s basketball.
In her new role, she joins a diverse coaching roster that includes Noelle Quinn (Breeze BC), Andrew Wade (Laces BC), DJ Sackmann (Lunar Owls BC), Zach O’Brien (Mist BC), Roneeka Hodges (Phantom BC), Nola Henry (Rose BC) — who led her team to the inaugural championship — and Teresa Weatherspoon (Vinyl BC).
Wakama’s appointment reinforces her growing reputation as one of the most dynamic young coaches in women’s basketball — one whose success with Nigeria’s D’Tigress has not only elevated African women’s basketball but also captured international recognition.
Her debut season with Hive BC will begin in January 2026, as Unrivaled enters its second year with growing viewership and renewed global interest in women’s professional basketball.