Ifunanya Okoro has been with the Nigerian national team since she was 16. She came up through the system, played 3×3 basketball, moved to Kenya and now, at age 25, she’s one of the top Nigerian women’s players. Last year, she moved to Europe—to Iceland—where she averaged 17.8 points, 7.7 rebounds and 2.4 steals per game. She talked to us about her career so far, her improvements and her team’s chances at the 2024 Olympics in Paris.

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

I got into basketball in 2014. I started when one of my friends invited me to a basketball camp. So I just casually went there to watch the game, and then when I got there I was like, “Ohh, women play basketball too!” So that was how I got interested. Then I registered with the Hope for Girls Academy.

You are one of over 16 million people who live in the Lagos metro area. What’s the basketball culture like there?

I would say in the whole of Nigeria, Lagos and Abuja have the most top-level athletes. Everyone wants to come to Lagos to play basketball because that’s where most of the things are happening, where the competitions are happening, the camps. We have… I think five or six female teams from Lagos.

And what’s the status of women’s basketball in Nigeria? Is it on an upswing or is it kind of steadily growing?

Yeah, I would say it’s steadily growing, like, as the years go by. In Africa, we have this mentality that the female child is not supposed to be into sport and all those things. So now it’s growing because now they are seeing that female children are actually doing good in sports. So now that more females are coming, sports is growing and it just keeps going like that.

What about your parents? Were they supportive or did you have to convince them to allow you to play?

Yeah, I had to convince them. I really had to convince them.

And now? Are they supportive? You’re playing for the national team, so they must be very proud.

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

You played basketball in Nigeria up until 2022. And then you moved to Kenya. Why?

It was me just wanting to step out and try something different because I got to a point when I was like, “Now I need to go outside to experience the game from a different perspective.” I really wanted to go outside of Nigeria to play and that’s how I got the opportunity to play in Kenya. And I would say the basketball in Kenya, it’s not really different from the basketball in Nigeria. It’s just that they’re a little bit more physical than we are here in Nigeria, you know, and the referees are like, “Just play on.” So yeah, I would say that’s that is the only difference there. A little bit more physical than Nigerian basketball.

This year you moved to Iceland. That must have been a culture shock for you.

When I first got to Iceland, it wasn’t snowing yet. I got there in October. But still, coming from Nigeria, we have like 28 degrees Celsius in October, you know, and you go there and it’s like 4 degrees Celsius. In the winter, you have -10 degrees Celsius. And I was like, “Oh, my God.” But the cold was the only thing that was different for me, because the people there, they are so lovely. They are so nice and welcoming. The girls really made me feel welcome. They made me feel like I was a part of the team. So yeah, it was it was really a nice experience for me.

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

So I met with my agent last year, in August. He was like, “Oh, it’s very late to get a job now, because most of the teams have already recruited.” So he was just like, “OK, just go with this one now and from there we can see what we get next year.” The goal for me actually is to play basketball to the highest level and I feel like for me to do that, I have to play in different environments and to be able to adjust and adapt, to help my game grow to the level I want to play in. And I felt playing here in Africa wouldn’t get me there. So I feel like me playing in different places, it’s just going to build me to become the person I want to be.

And you also played 3×3 basketball. In fact, you first played on the Nigerian national team as a 3×3 player. How did playing that type of game help you develop as a player?

I would say, being tough, you know, because you have to guard somebody constantly. So the toughness, the agility, to believe in yourself, because it’s just the three of you, so you have to count on yourself. So, 3×3 really helped me develop my mental toughness. Just keep going until it’s over, you know? Never give up. You know, even when I’m down, I know I have to just keep going until the whistle is being sounded.

You got your first game on the 5×5 team during the 2023 AfroBasket tournament and Nigeria was again the best team on the continent. How did it feel to win gold for your country?

I would say it was really big for me because growing up, everyone wants to play for their national team. I felt very, very blessed and grateful and very appreciative of my teammates because it was a team effort. Prior to us winning, Nigeria had won three-straight titles. And with winning the fourth, I was like, “Wow, I’m part of this great program and was able to keep the winning streak going.” So I felt really, really blessed just to be among the wonderful ladies that won.

The pressure was on you during AfroBasket. And was it comparable during the Olympic qualifiers in Belgium? You played Belgium, Senegal and the United States.

Going to the Olympic qualifiers, our coach just told us we need to win one game and then we had off. So winning the first game, it was like, you know, we already got it. So in the other games, our approach was like, “Let’s just try to see what we can do about it.” But that first game we felt the pressure to win. Against Senegal, we felt pressure.

You win that game by seven points. Was there a moment that you guys were afraid that you wouldn’t make it?

Yeah. I think towards the third quarter, they had the lead and we were like, “Let’s focus. This is why we came here for this game.” You know, we just kept grounded because during the third quarter, the game was very, very close. We have to do this for each other and then we just kept fighting, fighting till the end.

In the next game, you played 20 minutes against Team USA. As a defensive specialist, who did you guard?

Let’s see… I guarded Kelsey Plum. I guarded Jackie Young. And Jewell Loyd. I would say guarding them was different for me, because that was the first time playing on that kind of stage and playing against that caliber of players. I had to shake off some jitters, but when I got into the game and got comfortable, I did my thing. They really motivated me to just keep going because they run the floor really well and everything. So it was just doing what I know how to do, keep them in front of me and yeah, that was it.

What can we basketball fans expect from your team during the Olympics?

We enjoy basketball and we are coming to put a stamp on our name, you know, just to make Africa proud. Take it one game at a time. Just focus on executing. That’s the thing. We are just gonna come and do our thing and try to win as much games as we can.

A special thank you to Thomas Prodromou of Flash Agency for arranging the interview.

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Angel or Caitlin? Caitlin or Angel? Why not both?

With their new collection of WNBA shirts, Breaking T has you ready to support Angel Reese, Caitlin Clark and all your WNBA favorites.

And don’t forget to show your love for Team WNBA and Team USA before WNBA All-Star 2024.

After losing three of four games, the Connecticut Sun have returned to their winning ways, reeling off three-straight wins to move to 17-4, matching the New York Liberty for the league’s best record. The three victories were propelled by the Sun’s three All-Stars: Alyssa Thomas, DeWanna Bonner and Brionna Jones.

Jones, now a three-time All-Star, posted 18 points and seven rebounds to push Connecticut past the Phoenix Mercury, 83-72. During her 27 minutes on the court, the Sun outscored the Mercury by a team-best 23 points. Bonner got buckets in Connecticut’s victories over the Minnesota Lynx, 78-73, and Atlanta Dream, 80-67. Against the Lynx, the six-time All-Star tied her season high with 24 points before draining a career-best seven triples as she finished with 23 points against the Dream.

And through it all, Alyssa Thomas—”The Engine,” a five-time All-Star and a first-time Olympian—has remained the driving force for the Sun. After flirting with a triple-double against Phoenix with 10 points, 12 rebounds and seven assists, she completed the deed in the win over Minnesota, totaling 13 points, 10 rebounds and 14 assists. In just 25 minutes against Atlanta, she had a tidy stat line of seven points, nine rebounds and seven assists.

With three All-Stars, a legitimate All-Star snub in DiJonai Carrington and the league’s best record, all is good in Connecticut, right?

Can Connecticut compete with the league’s best?

It’s worth asking how good the Sun are. Yes, the are a very good regular season team, ready and willing to grind out wins against any opponent—almost.

There’s a glaring hole in the Sun’s resume, as they’ve yet to beat the championship favorites: the Liberty and Las Vegas Aces. While Connecticut and New York may share matching 17-4 records, the Liberty own two wins over the Sun. New York not only dealt Connecticut their first loss of the season, winning the June 8th battle in Brooklyn, but also handed the Sun their first loss at Mohegan Sun Arena. Likewise, the back-to-back defending champs smacked the Sun around in their first visit to Las Vegas. Connecticut also came up short against another team with championship ambitions in the Seattle Storm, as the Sun scored a season-low 61 points in their loss to Seattle.

In a vacuum, none of those losses are particularly concerning. Yet taken together, they raise questions about the Sun’s ability to compete with the league’s best, especially in the postseason. And especially on the offensive end.

Connecticut has a rock-solid defense, trailing only the Minnesota Lynx with a defensive rating of 93.6. Their offensive rating of 102.6 ranks third, suggesting there are no big problems on that end. However, the Sun average only 79.9 points per game, which ranks eighth in the league. The Sun score effectively, but, because they play at the league’s slowest pace, they don’t score explosively. The Aces and Storm, in contrast, play at the fastest paces in the league, while the Liberty, playing at a moderate pace, take and make the most 3s per game. The Sun rank 11th in both 3-pointers attempted and made.

Although many a coach may proclaim, “Defense wins championships,” offensive firepower increasingly defines the elite teams in modern basketball. Thus far, the 2024 Sun, not unlike previous editions of the team, do no appear to have the extra offensive gear necessary to win consistently at the highest level.

Can Connecticut raise their ceiling?

Photo by Chris Marion/NBAE via Getty Images

As assembled, can the Sun find the offensive fire needed to run with the likes of the Liberty, Aces and Storm?

The Sun are reflection of the strengths and weaknesses of their best player: Alyssa Thomas. While she deserves all the praise and more for her relentless determination to assert her will on every aspect of a game, her shortcomings in the offensive halfcourt, largely due her limitations as a shooter, cap the Sun’s ceiling. Brute force, will and want to can lead to buckets, but often not in ways that cause dialed in defenses to bend and break down. The transition scoring opportunities where Thomas and the Sun thrive also tend to dry up against better, more prepared competition.

While 3-point shooting is not the modern elixir for all offensive ills, high-volume 3-point shooting does tend to make offense easier. While it would be unwise to expect, or even to encourage, the Sun to totally switch up their offensive identity and begin to bomb away from behind the arc, Connecticut has enough viable 3-point shooters to incorporate more long-range shooting in their offense, generating not only more points but also more space inside the arc for Thomas and Jones.

Always a streaky shooter, Bonner must continue to fire away, using her volume, rather than her percentage, to threaten opponents. Carrington likewise should not be discouraged by dry spells and keep working to establish herself as a shooter who must be guarded. Ty Harris has become an excellent 3-pointer shooter and should be attempting more than 4.3 per game. How real is Veronica Burton’s shooting? She’s taken 10 3s and made half of them, giving her a much higher percentage than she posted in her two seasons with the Dallas Wings. She should keep shooting with confidence. Thus far, Rachel Banham is shooting a career-worst percentage from 3, but, when given the opportunity, she’s proven unafraid to keep launching.

What’s next for Connecticut?

The Connecticut Sun are very good. But, to win the franchise’s first championship, they have to find a way to become great. In particular, they have to find a way to become a great offense.

They’ll have two opportunities to prove themselves before the All-Star/Olympic break, twice meeting the Liberty. They host New York on Wednesday, July 10 (11 a.m. ET, League Pass) and then close out the first half of the season with a game in Brooklyn on Tuesday, July 16 (7 p.m. ET, Prime Video). Between those two first-place tilts, the Sun welcome the Mercury to Uncasville on Sunday, July 14 (1 p.m. ET, ABC).

There are four games in the WNBA this Sunday, and while each offers intriguing matchups and storylines, the rematch between the Chicago Sky and Seattle Storm Storm is the one to watch (6 p.m. ET, League Pass).

The Storm have been one of the best teams in the league all season. With a healthy roster, they are 13-7 and aiming to be the best team in the W. The Sky aren’t quite at that level, but they are fresh off an 88-84 win versus the Storm. The Sky are a scrappy, hungry 8-11 team with electrifying players like Chennedy Carter and rookie phenom Angel Reese. They are entertaining to watch and can beat any team on any day. Let’s see if Sunday is one of those days.

Sunday’s other action

Earlier in the day, we have the Atlanta Dream playing the Connecticut Sun (1 p.m. ET, League Pass). This will likely be a one-sided affair, with the Sun playing some of the best ball around and the Dream far too depleted to compete with Connecticut’s firepower.

Stranger things have happened, but you would need multiple Atlanta players to have career nights for a win to be plausible on Sunday.

The Las Vegas Aces are back home and will be looking to get back in the win column after losing to the Sparks. What better way to regain your groove than to play the 5-16 Dallas Wings? Similar to the Sun, the Aces have every advantage in this matchup. They are fully healthy, have the better roster player and are at home. This should be an easy day at the office for Las Vegas (3:30 p.m. ET, ESPN).

The final game of the night features the Los Angeles Sparks hosting the Phoenix Mercury (7 p.m. ET, League Pass).

The Sparks finally ended their eight-game losing streak and the Mercury are coming of a win versus the Wings that put them at 10-10 on the season. Even though they are on the road, Phoenix will likely be favored, but don’t count Los Angeles out. With Dearica Hamby playing the best ball of her career and Aari McDonald finding her groove, the home team might earn their second-straight win on Sunday.

Game information

Connecticut Sun (16-4) vs. Atlanta Dream (7-12)

When: Sunday, July 7 at 1 p.m. ET

Where: Mohegan Sun Arena in Uncasville, CT

How to watch: WNBA League Pass

Sun injury report: Moriah Jefferson (out; ankle)

Dream injury report: Cheyenne Parker-Tyus (questionable; left foot), Rhyne Howard (out; left ankle), Aerial Powers (out; left calf), Jordin Canada (out; finger)

Las Vegas Aces (12-7) vs. Dallas Wings (5-16)

When: Sunday, July 7 at 3:30 p.m. ET

Where: Michelob ULTRA Arena in Las Vegas, NV

How to watch: ESPN

Aces injury report: none

Wings injury report: Maddy Siegrist (out; finger), Satou Sabally (out; shoulder), Jaelyn Brown (out; illness)

Seattle Storm (13-7) vs. Chicago Sky (8-11)

When: Sunday, July 7 at 6 p.m. ET

Where: Climate Pledge Arena in Seattle, WA

How to watch: WNBA League Pass

Storm injury report: none

Sky injury report: Elizabeth Willams (out; knee)

Los Angeles Sparks (5-15) vs. Phoenix Mercury (10-10)

When: Sunday, July 7 at 7 p.m. ET

Where: Crypto.com Arena in Los Angeles, CA

How to watch: WNBA League Pass

Sparks injury report: Lexie Brown (out; illness), Cameron Brink (out; ACL)

Mercury injury report: Diana Taurasi (out; lower left leg), Charisma Osborne (out; lower left leg), Bec Allen (questionable; lower back), Brittney Griner (questionable; personal)

In professional sports, a coach often gets much of the blame when things are going poorly, and little credit when things are going well.

During the 2024 WNBA season, however, several head honchos have shown that they deserve credit—and then some—for the performances of their squads: the Minnesota Lynx’s Cheryl Reeve, the Chicago Sky’s Teresa Weatherspoon and the New York Liberty’s Sandy Brondello. In turn, they’ve put themselves squarely in consideration for Coach of the Year honors, at least based on a half season of evidence.

Cheryl Reeve (Minnesota Lynx)

No, Cheryl Reeve has not lost her fastball. After a few wayward seasons following the retirement of franchise legends, Reeve has the Minnesota Lynx back in the position they occupied for much of the 2010s: near the top of the league and in contention for a championship.

While Minnesota made a series of shrewd offseason moves to upgrade their roster around a burgeoning MVP candidate in Napheesa Collier, Reeve has optimized those players’ contributions, with Courtney Williams thriving as a primary playmaker and Alanna Smith making a big impact by doing all the little things. Returning members of the Lynx also have blossomed under Reeve, epitomized not by Collier—who likely would be great in any situation—but by Kayla McBride, Bridget Carleton and Cecilia Zandalasini, back in Minnesota after not playing in the WNBA since 2018. The trio fires away with confidence from behind the arc, led by McBride—an All-Star for the first time since 2019—shooting 43.8 percent from 3 on almost seven attempts per game.

Reeve also has the Lynx playing one of the league’s most aesthetically-pleasing brands of basketball, with an offensive attack that emphasizes ball movement and 3-point shooting and a defensive identity founded on aggression and attention to detail. Of course, it’s the results that matter, and those have come for Minnesota. They lead the league in 3-point shooting and defense, helping them earn a 15-6 record and the Commissioner’s Cup Championship.

The uncertainty around Collier’s recent foot injury could cause Minnesota to lose some of their mojo, slide down the standings and, in turn, weaken Reeve’s Coach of the Year candidacy. Alternatively, if the Lynx can maintain their third spot in the standings while Collier potentially misses a significant amount of time, Reeve could all but lock down her fourth Coach of the Year trophy.

Teresa Weatherspoon (Chicago Sky)

Photo by Steph Chambers/Getty Images

Teresa Weatherspoon embodies the head coach ideal. She’s intense and inspirational. She holds players accountable while also empowering them. She infuses her team with a drive to win without sacrificing developmental opportunities.

She’s also engineered the rapid rejuvenation of the Chicago Sky. When it was announced that the Sky would be trading Kahleah Cooper to the Phoenix Mercury during the 2024 offseason, Chicago seem destined to drift into irrelevancy. Instead, a squad featuring a mix of journeywoman veterans and young, high-profile stars quickly has coalesced under Weatherspoon into a team that oozes camaraderie.

She’s proven the perfect coach for Angel Reese, quieting any concerns about how the No. 7 overall draft pick’s game would translate to the WNBA by breathing confidence into who Reese is and can be, both on and off the court. The emergence of Chennedy Carter further certifies Weatherspoon’s special touch. A player whose talent never was in question, Carter had struggled to find her place in the WNBA. Supported by Weatherspoon, Carter has flourished, allowing her to show off her superstar-level offensive skill.

For Weatherspoon to capture Coach of the Year honors in her first season in the Windy City, she’ll likely need to accumulate more tangible proof of her intangible impact. At 8-12, the Sky currently occupy the eighth spot in the standings. That’s good enough to sneak into the playoffs, but a stronger record and resume might be required for Weatherspoon to earn some extra hardware.

Sandy Brondello (New York Liberty)

Photo by Catalina Fragoso/NBAE via Getty Images

While all coaches get most of the blame and little of the credit, that’s especially true of coaches of so-called “super teams.”

Yes, it might seem easy to coach a team with a pair of former MVPs, one the league’s best 3-point shooters, one of the best point guards in the history of the league and a role player extraordinaire. Sandy Brondello, however, has expertly helmed a New York Liberty team that entered the season with the highest of expectations: a championship. She has her squad on track to be in the best position possible to achieve that ambition, all while not overextending her players, even as the Liberty have encountered some adversity.

After an uneven debut season in New York, Jonquel Jones again has flashed her MVP form, scoring more efficiently than ever both inside and beyond the arc as she has found a more comfortable, impactful role within the Liberty’s league-leading offense. That offense also has hummed because of Sabrina Ionescu, who, in the absence of Courtney Vandersloot, has taken a leap as a playmaker and scorer. The play of that pair, along with the the ever-reliable efforts of Betnijah Laney-Hamilton, has allowed Breanna Stewart to assume a reduced offensive burden. Brondello has deftly managed an almost all-new bench unit as well, a task made more challenging due to Nyara Sabally’s extended time on the injury report. New York also has improved their defense, with a defensive of rating of 96.3 compared to 99.4 last season.

Regular season accomplishments, including a No. 1 seed, will not determine whether or not the Liberty’s season is a success; the postseason will be the judge. That said, how Brondello guides New York throughout the season should not be discounted. A second Coach of the Year award—10 years after her first—could be deserved.