The 2023 FIBA Women's AfroBasket MVP, Amy Okonkwo | Photo: Innocent SHEMA
Nigerian Amy Okonkwo’s Invariably outstanding work was recognizedasshe was named Most Valuable Player of the FIBA Women’s AfroBasket 2023. D’Tigress continues to reign supreme in Africa.
KIGALI, August 5, the 2023 Nigeria Women’s National Team etched their name in history by winning gold for the fourth time in a row in the FIBA Women’s AfroBasket Championship.
Under the guidance of coach Rena Wakama, D’Tigress improved to 5-0 in the tournament after defeating Senegal 84-74 on Saturday at BK Arena in Kigali, Rwanda. They are now 24-0 in AfroBasket, having not lost a game since October 3rd, 2015 when they faced Angola.
The 2023 Women’s AfroBasket winners, D’Tigress
Amy Okonkwo, a 1.88 m, 26-year-old from Nigeria, delivered when it mattered most, dropping 14 points on 4-of-11 shooting in the Final vs. Senegal to win the title, MVP award, best power forward of the tournament, and a spot in the tournament best Five.
Okonkwo finished out averaging 17.4 points, 8.2 rebounds, and 2.2 assists per game for the tournament.
Cierra Dillard of Senegal, Sika Kone of Mali, Jannon Otto of Uganda, and Tamara Seda of Mozambique complete the FIBA Women’s AfroBasket 2023 All-Star Five.
From L-R: Tamara Seda, Sika Kone, Amy Okonkwo, Jannon Otto, and Cierra Dillard
In the other individual awards, besides their All-Star team recognitions, Tamara Seda won the top rebounder award, and Uganda’s Jannon Otto also received the top scorer award. Nigeria’s Taiwo Olaluwatomi won the best three-pointer award.
A fair play award was given to Team Rwanda.
The semi-finalists Rwanda, Mali, Nigeria, and Senegal have qualified for the next AfroBasket in 2025, according to the FIBA quota.
Sifa Ineza's 19-point outburst propels Rwanda over Uganda and set up historic semi-finals in AfroBasket | Photo: FIBA
Wednesday night in Kigali’s BK Arena, Joyeuse Sifa Ineza determined Rwanda’s 2023 AfroBasket journey was far from over. Sifa displayed a stellar performance in Rwanda’s 66-61 triumph over Uganda, propelling her country into the historic semi-final game with defending champions, Nigeria
The Gazelles led 22-11 at the end of the first quarter and kept that lead through most of the second quarter until Jane Asinde stepped down due to an ankle injury, the injury that cost Alberto Antuna’s squad the game.
At the time, BK Arena got a special guest, which bolstered the mood of the home side fans, allowing them to drive their team back into the game. When Rwandan President Paul Kagame entered the arena, the mood shifted dramatically, and Rwanda rallied back to close the first half by one point. 27-28
Rwanda began the third quarter where they left off, determined to turn things around once and for all. Destiney Philoxy made a three-point jumper, which was followed by Sifa Ineza’s back-to-back three-pointers to take an eight-point advantage.
Janai Crooms Robertson stole a ball, and Melissa Akullu had to foul her to halt her layup. And the determined Crooms scored all of them to stretch the lead to ten points. The action was followed by Crooms’ steal from Jannon Otto, who dished a good ball to the in-form Sifa Ineza, and the latter didn’t disappoint, pouring another three from downtown and forcing Alberto Antuna to call a timeout to stop the opponent’s momentum.
Rwanda maintained its lead in the game, while Uganda entered foul trouble. Sifa Ineza nailed another step back three with 3 minutes left in the third quarter to stretch the margin to 19 points, 51-32. Jannon Otto, Uganda’s irrepressible small forward, scored six straight points to trim the margin to 13 points.
Uganda’s Gazelles fought hard in the last period to get back in the game and narrow the lead to three points while Hope Butera, who was strong on both ends, had already committed four fouls. However, Rwanda emerged as winners, 66-61, and advanced to the semi-finals, their highest-ever reach in a FIBA Women’s AfroBasket competition.
Jannon Jaye Otto delivered another spectacular effort, scoring a game-high 31 points while shooting 15/16 from the free-throw line. She had 13 rebounds and four assists, but it wasn’t enough against a determined Rwandan team.
On the Rwandan side, Assouma Uwizeye stood out with a strong defensive performance. The APR power forward grabbed 13 rebounds, including 10 defensive ones, while committing only one personal foul. She even goes 4-for-7 from the field to provide 8 points in the contest.
Joyeuse Sifa Ineza, 21, led the squad with 19 points, shooting 5-16 from three-point range, collecting 9 rebounds, and dishing out 5 assists in a game in which she only turned the ball once in 31 minutes.
Destiney Philoxy Promise and Janai Crooms Robertson chipped in with 16 and 15 points, respectively.
After accomplishing this historic feat, the Rwandan shooting guard opened up about their pre-court mindset.
“We just came in ready. We lost to Angola and it’s not because they were better than us, but we made a lot of mistakes and that’s like, as Coach said, I just learned from my mistakes, and last game I had 8 turnovers, That’s a lot for a guard.” Said Sifa Ineza
Sifa Ineza added; “I’m not supposed to have 8 turnovers. So, I learned from it and now I got to do the best for the team and just get a win one minute at a time.”
Sifa went on to say that they will prove the doubters wrong
“People are going to talk regardless, but we just learn to block the haters. We just don’t let that energy affect us. And that’s what I said like nobody believed in this.”
“They say, we qualified because we’re the host team and really we just know we’re the underdogs and we got to come out here and just prove people wrong,” Sifa Ineza continued.
Dr. Chekh Sarr’s Rwanda will face a mountain to climb in the semi-finals when they face the reigning champions. Nigeria has won the previous three AfroBasket titles and has not lost in this competition since October 3rd, 2015 when they faced Angola.
The game is set for Thursday, August 3 at 6 p.m. at BK Arena. Mali against Senegal is the other semi-final matchup.
According to the FIBA quota, Rwanda, Mali, Nigeria, and Senegal have qualified for the next AfroBasket in 2025.
Mixed emotions during the FIBA Women’s AfroBasket 2023 classification stage as the Gazelles defeat DR Congo to set their sights on hosts Rwanda.
This edition of the FIBA Women’s AfroBasket competition marks the first time Uganda has advanced to the quarterfinal round. This comes after the Gazelles displayed outstanding performance.
Uganda entered the campaign as the underdog in Group C, with Mali and Senegal. Losing to Mali in the opening game did not deter the Gazelles, who went on to defeat Senegal and then DR Congo in the classification round.
Alberto Antuna’s team required a strong third-quarter effort in the classification matchup to break away following a closely contested first half that ended equal (30-30).
DR Congo enjoyed a three-point advantage (15-12) at the end of the first quarter, however, Uganda answered by winning the second quarter 18-15 to guarantee that the scores were even heading into the lengthy intermission.
Uganda started to pull away in the third quarter, winning 23-15, and finished the job with another strong fourth-quarter showing (23-17), winning by 16 points.
Uganda will face Rwanda in the Quarter-Finals with the hopes of making it to the Final Four, a feat they have never achieved in two participations at FIBA Africa’s flagship event for women.
Gazelles Fans In Rwanda To Support Uganda
The hopes for the Gazelles are to reach the Final Four for the first time in their two appearances in FIBA Africa’s premier event for women. The winner from this matchup will face the winner of Mozambique versus Nigeria in the semifinals.
Otto Jaye Janon, The gazelles' small forward | Photo: FIBA
Uganda’s gazelles beat DRC’s Leopards 78-62 to qualify for their first ever Women’s AfroBasket Quarter-Finals and the forward Jannon Otto praised the charming friendship in the squad as the key ahead of Rwanda clash
Uganda’s Gazelles have defied all the odds and qualify to the Quarter-finals despite being considered underdogs. They achieved the milestone yesterday after a well-deserved 78-62 triumph against their neighbors, DR Congo.
Following Uganda’s amazing game, the Gazelles’ small forward, who had another stellar performance of 18 points and 9 rebounds, addressed the media to discuss her integration and sympathy into the team, as well as her optimism for the upcoming assignment.
She commenced by raving about how kind her teammates are.
“My teammates are the best, I love them so much. Probably one of the best teams I’ve played for, Just like with how well I think we play for each other, we’re not like selfish or worried about ourselves.”
“I think we’re just worried about trying to do, what we can to win; which is just really fun to play. We’re just trying to play for Uganda, which I think is really cool.”
“They’re just so welcoming to me all the time. Obviously my culture is way different, High group is way different, My experiences are way different, but they just really welcome me and make me feel like I’m part of the family. So I love them,” added tbe Gazelles’ forward
Jannon Jaye Otto, a Ugandan American, opted to represent Uganda since February 2023, and since then, her dedication, devotion, and tenacity are undeniably impressive.
Otto led the Gazelles through the FIBA Women’s AfroBasket Zone V Qualifiers AfroBasket, where she wowed the fans with her prodigious abilities and established herself as one of the best athletes to wear the Ugandan jerseys. She was named the tournament’s best small forward, earning her a spot in the tournament’s best five as well as helping her country qualify for the 2023 Women’s AfroBasket.
Otto is the leading scorer for the Gazelles in the ongoing AfroBasket event, scoring 47.8% of her field goals and 84.6% from the free throw line.
Before facing Rwanda in the quarter-finals, she averages 19.3 points per game (second best in the competition after Egypt’s Nadine Mohamed Sayed Soliman), 3 assists, and 7.3 rebounds.
The 26-year-old, currently plying her trade to Eastern Mavericks of the Australian National Basketball League, is looking forward to the East African rivalry against the 2023 AfroBasket host nation.
She expresses her excitement to play Rwanda in a really exciting manner.
“I am super excited to play them. The atmosphere’s been crazy. I think we live for like big moments. We kind of have been underdogs the whole tournament, it’s kind of like the identity we’ve took on.”
“So, I feel like it’s a big challenge for us, but we’re excited for the challenge, we’re excited to compete with them, excited to play another day, and see how it goes,” stated Otto
During the Zone V qualifiers in Kampala, Uganda defeated Rwanda 78-70, with Otto posting a double-double of 22 points and 13 rebounds.
The match versus Rwanda will be a thrilling game since both countries have reached the quarterfinals for the very first time.
Senegal will rub shoulders with Cameroon in the other quarterfinal game, while Mali faces Guinea, and Nigeria take on Mozambique. The games are set to take place at BK Arena today, August 2.
The match between Rwanda and Uganda is scheduled for 6 p.m. CAT, 7 p.m. EAT.
Uganda’s Gazelles will meet DR Congo in a qualification game for the quarter-finals of the FIBA Women’s Afrobasket 2023 on Tuesday after placing second in Group C.
The four group winners advance immediately to the Quarterfinals, while the second and third teams in the groups compete in a round of 16. The Gazelles defeated Senegal 85-83 and will take that momentum into Tuesday’s game against DR Congo at the BK Arena in Kigali.
“This is our first step, we compete and try to keep building because the girls have come in strong,” said the Gazelles Head Coach Alberto Antuna after the win against 11-time African Champions Senegal.
Gazelles Head Coach
“We probably had the toughest group in Afrobasket, so we’re happy to finish only behind Mali,”
He continued. “From now on, we’re just focusing on DR Congo.”
Uganda After Victory Over Senegal
The win against Senegal demonstrated to the girls that they can play against any side in the competition, and a win over Congo would set up a quarter-final meeting with hosts Rwanda.
East African teams stand in Rwanda’s route to the semi-finals. Uganda’s gazelles lock horns with DRC’s leopards in a play-in match to determine Rwanda’s opponent in the quarter-finals.
KIGALI- The 2023 FIBA Women’s AfroBasket has reached a thrilling stage, with the group phase games completed and the top teams advanced to the quarter-finals, the other eight teams will have to go through the classification round to the Quarter-Finals (Play-in games) to fill the remaining four quarter-final spots.
Dr. Cheikh Sarr’s Rwanda topped Group A after beating Côte d’Ivoire in their opening game with a huge difference, and falling to Angola in the second game. Côte d’Ivoire defeated Angola leaving the Group ranking intricate, However, Rwanda came out on top as the points differential was used as a tiebreaker.
Cameroon advanced to the quarter-finals after defeating Mozambique and Guinea in Group B.
Uganda’s gazelles shocked the tournament pretenders Senegal to seize a good place in Group C. Following a defeat to tournament heavyweights Mali, Alberto Antuna’s gazelles defeated 11-time African champions Senegal to finish second and escape Egypt.
Mali won Group C and advanced through to the playoffs, while Uganda and Senegal, who finished second and third in the group, will face DRC and Egypt in play-in matches, respectively.
DR Congo, the other East African country contesting in the tournament, struggled throughout the Group D games, losing to Egypt and Nigeria both by significant margins and will face Uganda, the second-ranked team in Group C, as the bottom finishers.
The Congolese will face Rwanda in the 2023 AfroBasket quarter-finals if they progress past Uganda this Tuesday, August 1st. in what is considered an East African affair. The matchup confirms that, for the first time since 2005, East Africa will have a team in the semi-finals.
In 2005, DR Congo finished fourth in the tournament won by the host country, Nigeria.
Rwanda debuted the 2023 FIBA Women’s AfroBasket on a high note, beating Côte d’Ivoire 64-35, and Dr. Cheikh Sarr, the head coach, expressed optimism though He stated that his target goals are to go game by game.
Following an impressive performance to tip off the 28th edition of FIBA Women’s AfroBasket, Rwanda’s head coach, Dr. Cheikh Sarr, fulfilled his FIBA-mandated obligations to attend a duly convened post-match press conference to review the game and give his thoughts on the upcoming encounter.
During the press conference, Dr. Sarr commended his players, and clearly, his optimism looked so uplifting for the tournament; nevertheless, he chose to keep a low profile and did not comment on how he will prepare for his next game against Angola.
Dr Sarr tried and succeeded to prepare his squad under wraps until the final roster was revealed on matchday; as a result, he stunned Côte d’Ivoire, the eighth-ranked African Women’s team.
In his words, Dr. Sarr hailed the team for a good start and appreciated the public for pushing them
“I want to thank the team, Rwandan team, you know we are a family and they [players] show that we have heart and that we can do something. holding a team like Côte d’Ivoire, a running team, a very versatile, physical at 35 points, it means that we can do something together. It is a good start for me, and the public help a lot.”
Dr. Sarr’s team triumphed, however, it became evident that he needs to make a few adjustments in technical aspects. Rwanda made 4-of-17 shots from behind the arc, had 28 turnovers, and shot 60% from the free throw line in a game against Côte d’Ivoire.
How will the Senegalese tactician deal with that?
“I think we can improve some components like the turning the ball over 28 times, but we get a lot of points from the first break, 17 and we attacked the paint, we got 24 inside the paint, which is very good.”
“I think we go back home and then watch the video and prepare for Angola.”
When asked how he prepares for his next opponent and his goals for the competition, Dr. Sarr stated that his goal remains the same; defeat everyone who stands in their way.
“I can’t come here to disclose my plansto Angola. We are prepared, as they are. And for the tournament, we’ll take it one game at a time. We must win all of our games, that is all.” Said Rwanda’s head coach
On the other side, Hope Butera, a center, who was crucial to the victory, wasn’t reluctant to declare that they are ready for this tournament
“We are ready to give whatever it takes to win the competition. It’s my first time, it’s a lot of people’s first time, but I think we are ready as a team, as the whole country.”
Hope Butera, a center, spent 28 minutes on the court and scored 7 points, grabbed 8 rebounds, assisted twice, and stole 3 balls.
In this game, Destiney Promise Philoxy scored a game-high 18 points in her debut. Janai Crooms Robertson chipped in with 11 points in the game Laurence Imanizabayo was forced to withdraw from the competition owing to an ankle injury.
In the next outings, Rwanda takes on Angola on July 30 at 6 p.m. CAT.
Yesterday, July 25, 2023, the Uganda Women’s National Basketball Team, the Gazelles, was flagged off for Kigali in preparation for the FIBA Women’s AfroBasket 2023 at the ONOMO hotel.
On June 16, 2023, the women arrived at the ONOMO Hotel to begin their training camp. Since then, they have been holding workouts at the MTN Arena Lugogo. On July 20, 2023, they played a select team from the National Basketball League in a practice game, winning 78-61.
The team also held its first practice session on yesterday, Tuesday night at the LDK Court in Kigali. The Gazelles hope to win the prized trophy this time around under the guidance of their Spanish head coach, Albert Antuna, anxious to atone for their narrow defeat in the 2021 competition.
“Our initial training session in Kigali is now finished. Everyone is fit and prepared for Friday’s competition. A few offensive and defensive situations were reviewed during the brief session. We’ll continue to work through Friday during the coming few days,” said head coach, Albert Antuna.
Gazelles Head Coach Albert Antuna
“This is the third time that Uganda is having the privilege of being in the FIBA Women’s AfroBasket and this is the time that we have had the best preparation. We have had time together as a team, time to bond, and proper training. We call out to our fans, Kigali is only 8 hours so come and support the Gazelles,” Gazelles captain Flavia Oketcho.
Gazelles captain Flavia Oketcho
With Mali and Senegal as opponents in Group C, the Ugandan team will enter the competition as underdogs but will be optimistic about pulling off a few surprises.
The 27th-ranked country in the world, Mali, is preparing for another exciting season in the continental tournament.
However, the Gazelles will not tolerate complacency and will strive to leave their imprint on the 2023 Afrobasket Women’s Championship. They are driven and hungry to triumph.
After successfully hosting the 2021 FIBA AfroBasket in the men’s category and three Basketball Africa League finals, preparations are in full swing as Kigali will welcome another international Basketball event, FIBA Women’s AfroBasket.
Final Gazelles Squad
Evelyn Nakiyingi
Flavia Oketcho (C)
Lydia Babirye
Brenda Ekon
Rita Imanishimwe
Priscilla Abby
Janon Otto
Hope Akello
Jane Asinde
Melissa Akullo
Claire Lamunu
Maria Najjuma
Rwanda’s U-16 National Teams, boys and girls, flew back to Kigali on Tuesday afternoon from Tunisia, where they placed fifth in boys and seventh in girls in the recently ended African Championships.
The Rwandan delegation was received cordially by their families upon their arrival at Kigali International Airport and the journalists were eagerly waiting for the participants.
Speaking on behalf of the players, Sean Williams Mwesigwa, who had a stellar performance at the FIBA U16 African Championship, averaging 18.4 points, 3.6 rebounds, and 3 assists per game, spoke with us about the tournament and how he evaluates his performance.
“The tournament was very physical, it was very fun to play in, it was very physical. Everybody was really good, and very high competitiveness. It was really fun to play in.”
He added “It [performance] was pretty good. I feel like I did well. I feel like I could have done better in some games. I got hurt in the first game. I didn’t really feel like myself after. But I feel like I did pretty well and got to lead my team and do the right thing” said the team captain.
The 15-year-old also emphasized what they lacked that prevented them from reaching the semi-finals.
“The way we moved the ball was just a little sloppy. You can kind of tell by the beginning of the game we would start slow back in the games, it is kind of too late. That’s when we would finally get to understand the team and start to play better.”
Sean Williams Mwesigwa
Mwesigwa, the team’s leading scorer, also reveals where he needs to improve based on what he learned throughout the competition.
“I’m used to the less physical game and a lot more scoring. These guys are used to more team ball, which is something that I definitely stick away from my experience being here. So, yes, that’s what I would say the difference is. So that’s something I definitely picked up from my teammates and something I’ll take back with me when I go back to the States.”
Mwesigwa currently plays for Varsity high school team in Texas. during the 2023 FIBA U-16 African Championship, Rwanda’s journey ended in the quarter-finals following a 94-78 defeat against Egypt. Thus, they had to continue playing classification games.
It was a painful evening for Habiyaremye’s squad, who were vying for a place in the World Cup. A target they should have fulfilled if they made the final.
When addressing the media, coach Patrick Habiyaremye urged the national team officials that the group would still be taken care of and make sure that the preparations for the next tournaments start earlier
“We didn’t make it to the semifinals or qualify for the World Cup, but we finished fifth. It wasn’t easy, and for us, the results aren’t disappointing.”
“We only need to make a few minor adjustments, which will allow us to return to the tournament [U18] more competitively if we plan ahead, get all the kids there on time, and have time to harmonize the game.”
In the classification games, the team led by Patrick Habiyaremye beat Morocco by a tight score of 77-76. Two days later, they defeated Côte d’Ivoire 74-62 to take fifth place.
Guinea stunned Egypt in the final to win the boys’ championship. While in girls, Mali clinched the eighth title in a row.
There is little question that the finest outcomes for the boys came from the introduction of Rwanda’s second division in basketball, where the bulk of U-16 boys players are presently participating.
The girls’ journey has not been easy; after dropping five games in a row, they overcame Guinea in the classification game and place seventh overall
In an interview with Moise Mutokambali, the Basketball National Technical Director, he detailed the girls’ dismal performance as well as their plans to improve and thrive at the international level.
National Technical Director, Moise Mutakambali
“Locally, the girls’ teams aren’t making much progress; we need to put forth more effort, stay up with the schools’ competition, and go further into development.” Said Mutokambali
He continued; “The boys’ level has risen mostly as a result of the second-tier league that we established. That’s why we intend to launch another competition for girls, focusing on schools of excellence. We’re working on it, and we started by instructing the coaches at the schools who will help us raise the girls’ level.”
Meanwhile, In Cape Verde in 2019, Rwanda also came in fifth place, their last appearance in the FIBA U16 African Championship after missing the previous edition in Egypt.
In two years, the teams will be back on the international stage competing at the under-18 level.
Kigali's BK Arena will host the FIBA Women's AfroBasket 2023
After successfully hosting the 2021 FIBA AfroBasket in the men’s category and three Basketball Africa League finals, Preparations are in full swing as Kigali will welcome another international Basketball event, FIBA Women’s AfroBasket, in less than 4 days.
With the countdown to the highly anticipated FIBA Women’s AfroBasket coming down to the wire, The preparations are in top gear for the 28th edition due to begin on July 28, 2023. The organizers, protocols, and security personnel are leaving no stone unturned to ensure a flawless and secure atmosphere for Basketball lovers across the continent to witness Africa’s highest-level Women’s basketball tournament.
Speaking to Landry Jabo, the Project and Partnership management consultant at Rwanda Basketball Federation, he emphasized that the preparations are well advanced and almost done.
He said; “Final preparations are well underway and nearly complete, only a few details remain to be dealt with, but we expect to have them lined up before tomorrow”
Kigali’s BK Arena, the renowned and state-of-the-art venue that has hosted every major basketball tournament on the continent, is getting a substantial makeover in preparation for this prestigious event. The 10,000-seat Arena, completed in 2019, is set to host a fun-filled mix of basketball and entertainment events.
Kigali, Rwanda’s capital city, will draw attention from the continent. The competition is expected to draw close to 500 athletes, coaches, federation representatives, and officials excluding supporters. hence It will endure for about ten days. What does the hosting nation have in store to ensure that visitors have a pleasant stay in the most welcoming country?
“We will provide a welcoming environment for basketball fans, full of fun and entertainment,” stated Mr. Landry Jabo from local organizing committee
He added; “Basketball and entertainment are inextricably linked. We’ll have a variety of acts performing. Every day, an artist and DJs will warm up and amuse the audience.”
“The opening ceremonies will include a breathtaking spectacle on August 28th, and the tournament will conclude on August 5th with another amazing entertainment event.”
He continued “We scheduled training for sports photographers and training for basketball technicians, among other activities planned but related to basketball, in order to broaden our grasp of the game.” declared Jabo
Furthermore, online services, digital products, and tourism through Visit Rwanda have been put in place, eagerly anticipating the arrival of participants from around Africa for a 10-day stay in the land of a thousand hills.
Hence, Tickets may be purchased solely through the online platform TiCQet
The best 12 national teams in the continent compete in the FIBA Women’s AfroBasket, the continent’s biggest women’s basketball competition, which is held every two years. From July 28 to August 6, 2023, Kigali, Rwanda, will be the site of the event.
While Nigeria is the reigning champion, Senegal won it 12 times. In the previous edition in Cameroon, Nigeria defeated Mali in the final game, where Cameroon finished third.
The 12 participating nations in Kigali are Rwanda, Côte d’Ivoire, Angola, Cameroon, Mali, Mozambique, Guinea, Senegal, Uganda, Nigeria, Egypt, and the Democratic Republic of the Congo.
At the time of publishing, Senegal and Mozambique had already arrived in Kigali. 9 other teams are due to arrive starting this evening, the deadline is July 27th.
The defending champions, Nigeria, will face DR Congo in the opening game on July 28 at 11:30 Central African Time.