FIBA: Ify Okoro is able to lead Nigeria on the 2024 Paris Olympics

Ifunanya Okoro has been with the Nigerian nationwide staff since she was 16. She got here up by means of the system, performed 3×3 basketball, moved to Kenya and now, at age 25, she’s one of many prime Nigerian ladies’s gamers. Final yr, she moved to Europe—to Iceland—the place she averaged 17.8 factors, 7.7 rebounds and a couple of.4 steals per sport. She talked to us about her profession up to now, her enhancements and her staff’s possibilities on the 2024 Olympics in Paris.

How did you get into basketball? And when did you begin?

I obtained into basketball in 2014. I began when one in every of my associates invited me to a basketball camp. So I simply casually went there to observe the sport, after which once I obtained there I used to be like, “Ohh, ladies play basketball too!” In order that was how I obtained . Then I registered with the Hope for Ladies Academy.

You might be one in every of over 16 million individuals who dwell within the Lagos metro space. What’s the basketball tradition like there?

I might say in the entire of Nigeria, Lagos and Abuja have probably the most top-level athletes. Everybody needs to return to Lagos to play basketball as a result of that’s the place a lot of the issues are taking place, the place the competitions are taking place, the camps. Now we have… I believe 5 or 6 feminine groups from Lagos.

And what’s the standing of ladies’s basketball in Nigeria? Is it on an upswing or is it form of steadily rising?

Yeah, I might say it’s steadily rising, like, because the years go by. In Africa, now we have this mentality that the feminine baby will not be imagined to be into sport and all these issues. So now it’s rising as a result of now they’re seeing that feminine kids are literally doing good in sports activities. So now that extra females are coming, sports activities is rising and it simply retains going like that.

What about your mother and father? Have been they supportive or did you must persuade them to help you play?

Yeah, I needed to persuade them. I actually needed to persuade them.

And now? Are they supportive? You’re taking part in for the nationwide staff, so that they have to be very proud.

Yeah. Yeah. They’re satisfied. They’re very supportive now.

You performed basketball in Nigeria up till 2022. And then you definately moved to Kenya. Why?

It was me simply desirous to step out and take a look at one thing completely different as a result of I obtained to a degree once I was like, “Now I have to go exterior to expertise the sport from a distinct perspective.” I actually wished to go exterior of Nigeria to play and that’s how I obtained the chance to play in Kenya. And I might say the basketball in Kenya, it’s probably not completely different from the basketball in Nigeria. It’s simply that they’re a little bit bit extra bodily than we’re right here in Nigeria, you recognize, and the referees are like, “Simply play on.” So yeah, I might say that’s that’s the solely distinction there. A bit bit extra bodily than Nigerian basketball.

This yr you moved to Iceland. That will need to have been a tradition shock for you.

Once I first obtained to Iceland, it wasn’t snowing but. I obtained there in October. However nonetheless, coming from Nigeria, now we have like 28 levels Celsius in October, you recognize, and also you go there and it’s like 4 levels Celsius. Within the winter, you’ve got -10 levels Celsius. And I used to be like, “Oh, my God.” However the chilly was the one factor that was completely different for me, as a result of the folks there, they’re so pretty. They’re so good and welcoming. The ladies actually made me really feel welcome. They made me really feel like I used to be part of the staff. So yeah, it was it was actually a pleasant expertise for me.

And why Iceland, out of all of the locations? Ever heard of Spain? Portugal? Greece?

So I met with my agent final yr, in August. He was like, “Oh, it’s very late to get a job now, as a result of a lot of the groups have already recruited.” So he was similar to, “OK, simply go along with this one now and from there we will see what we get subsequent yr.” The purpose for me truly is to play basketball to the very best stage and I really feel like for me to try this, I’ve to play in several environments and to have the ability to alter and adapt, to assist my sport develop to the extent I need to play in. And I felt taking part in right here in Africa wouldn’t get me there. So I really feel like me taking part in elsewhere, it’s simply going to construct me to turn out to be the particular person I need to be.

And also you additionally performed 3×3 basketball. In actual fact, you first performed on the Nigerian nationwide staff as a 3×3 participant. How did taking part in that kind of sport aid you develop as a participant?

I might say, being powerful, you recognize, as a result of you must guard any individual always. So the toughness, the agility, to consider in your self, as a result of it’s simply the three of you, so you must depend on your self. So, 3×3 actually helped me develop my psychological toughness. Simply maintain going till it’s over, you recognize? By no means hand over. You realize, even once I’m down, I do know I’ve to only maintain going till the whistle is being sounded.

You bought your first sport on the 5×5 staff throughout the 2023 AfroBasket match and Nigeria was once more the perfect staff on the continent. How did it really feel to win gold in your nation?

I might say it was actually huge for me as a result of rising up, everybody needs to play for his or her nationwide staff. I felt very, very blessed and grateful and really appreciative of my teammates as a result of it was a staff effort. Previous to us successful, Nigeria had received three-straight titles. And with successful the fourth, I used to be like, “Wow, I’m a part of this nice program and was capable of maintain the successful streak going.” So I felt actually, actually blessed simply to be among the many great women that received.

Picture by DIRK WAEM/BELGA MAG/AFP through Getty Photos

The stress was on you throughout AfroBasket. And was it comparable throughout the Olympic qualifiers in Belgium? You performed Belgium, Senegal and the US.

Going to the Olympic qualifiers, our coach simply instructed us we have to win one sport after which we had off. So successful the primary sport, it was like, you recognize, we already obtained it. So within the different video games, our method was like, “Let’s simply attempt to see what we will do about it.” However that first sport we felt the stress to win. Towards Senegal, we felt stress.

You win that sport by seven factors. Was there a second that you just guys have been afraid that you just wouldn’t make it?

Yeah. I believe in direction of the third quarter, they’d the lead and we have been like, “Let’s focus. That is why we got here right here for this sport.” You realize, we simply saved grounded as a result of throughout the third quarter, the sport was very, very shut. Now we have to do that for one another after which we simply saved preventing, preventing until the top.

Within the subsequent sport, you performed 20 minutes in opposition to Group USA. As a defensive specialist, who did you guard?

Let’s see… I guarded Kelsey Plum. I guarded Jackie Younger. And Jewell Loyd. I might say guarding them was completely different for me, as a result of that was the primary time taking part in on that form of stage and taking part in in opposition to that caliber of gamers. I needed to shake off some jitters, however once I obtained into the sport and obtained snug, I did my factor. They actually motivated me to only maintain going as a result of they run the ground rather well and every part. So it was simply doing what I understand how to do, maintain them in entrance of me and yeah, that was it.

What can we basketball followers count on out of your staff throughout the Olympics?

We take pleasure in basketball and we’re coming to place a stamp on our title, you recognize, simply to make Africa proud. Take it one sport at a time. Simply concentrate on executing. That’s the factor. We’re simply gonna come and do our factor and attempt to win as a lot video games as we will.

A particular thanks to Thomas Prodromou of Flash Company for arranging the interview.