Chicago Sky has announced the appointment of D’Tigress coach Rena Wakama as an assistant coach on Head Coach Tyler Marsh’s staff.
The club announced Wakama’s appointment in a statement on its website, after earlier announcements of the appointments of Courtney Paris and Tanisha Wright as assistant coaches.
“Rena has proven that she has a winning mindset and attitude,” Marsh said. “We’ve seen her success this past summer with the Nigerian National Team at the Olympics, building on an impressive winning record and extensive background in coaching and player development. She is an excellent young leader and coach who will make a significant impact on the Sky’s program.”
Wakama made history with the Nigerian women’s basketball team, D’Tigress, leading them to an impressive run at the 2024 Paris Olympics. Appointed as Nigeria’s head coach in June 2023, she became the first female coach to win the FIBA Women’s AfroBasket title in August 2023. She then guided Nigeria to the Olympic quarterfinals—an unprecedented feat for any African basketball team, male or female, in the modern era of the Games. Her achievements earned her the Best Coach award from FIBA.
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“I am honored and thankful for Jeff and Tyler for granting me the opportunity to join the Chicago Sky family,” Wakama said. “Tyler has one of the best basketball minds in the industry and I’m excited to help him bring his vision to life. I look forward to serving this organization and working alongside the other brilliant minds on staff to create a brand of basketball that is not only competitive but also fun to watch! Let’s get to work!”
Though born in Raleigh, North Carolina, Wakama has strong Nigerian roots. She has gained coaching experience at several U.S. college basketball programs, including Tulane University, where she joined as an assistant coach in 2024. Before that, she was at Stony Brook from 2023 to 2024, helping the team to a 28-5 record and a Coastal Athletic Association regular season title. She also spent six years at Manhattan College in different coaching capacities.
As a player, Wakama starred for Western Carolina University from 2010 to 2014, earning Southern Conference All-Tournament Second Team honors and making the SoCon Academic Team three times. She played 121 games for the Catamounts, averaging 10.4 points per game in her senior year.
Chicago Sky will begin their 2025 WNBA regular season on May 17 against Indiana at Gainbridge Fieldhouse. They will also play three preseason games, including two against Minnesota on May 6 and 10, and one against Brazil’s national team at LSU on May 2.
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