Women's Basketball
Wakama, Rena
Rena Wakama
- Title:
- Assistant Coach
- Email:
- rwakama@tulane.edu
Rena Wakama joined the Tulane women's basketball staff as as Assistant Coach in April 2024
Prior to Tulane, Wakama spent a year working in a similar Assistant Coach role at Stony Brook starting in July 2023. During the 2023-24 season, Stony Brook went 28-5 and advanced to the second round of the Women's Basketball Invitational Tournament after capturing the Coastal Athletic Association regular season title with a 16-2 record.
Previous to Stony Brook, she spent six seasons at Manhattan College where she served as the Director of Basketball Operations in her first two seasons before transitioning to the position of Assistant Coach/Recruiting Coordinator her final four years. As the Director of Operations at Manhattan College, she handed the day-to-day operations of the program, including organizing team travel, overseeing student managers, running all fundraising events and assisting with the program's community service initiatives.
Wakama served the Jaspers as an Assistant Coach and Recruiting Coordinator in her last four season with the program. In her role she oversaw the development of the wing/guard position players, while also leading as the team's academics and community service liaison.
Under the guidance of Wakama, Manhattan College earned a 21-11 record in the 2021-22 season, which were the most wins in a single season since their 2010-2011 season, and the team's third straight winning season, including a 14-6 record in MAAC play. She has mentored four MAAC Major Award winners, nine All-MAAC honorees and three MAAC All-Rookie Team recipients. Off the court, Wakama has helped 31 student-athletes earn MAAC All-Academic Team selections.
Prior to her time with the Jaspers, Wakama was the assistant coach for the Carolina Flames AAU organization, the organization that she played for growing up. On June 30, the Nigeria Women's Basketball team, D'Tigress, the Nigeria Basketball Federation (NBBF) announced the appointment of Coach Wakama as the new head coach. D'Tigress are the reigning African champions, having conquered the continent consecutively in 2017, 2019 and 2021.
The native of Raleigh, NC, Wakama spent her collegiate career at Western Carolina University. The guard made 121 starts over her four-year career and received Second Team Southern Conference All-Tournament honors during her senior year after averaging 10.4 points per game. In the classroom, she was a three-time SoCon Academic Team honoree. During her high school career at Wake Forest Rolesville, Wakama was named Cap-7 Most Valuable Player, McDonalds High School All-American nominee, earned All-District First Team and All-State First Team honors.
Wakama graduated from Western Carolina in 2014 with her bachelor's degree in therapeutic recreation and earned an MBA from Manhattan College in 2019.
Prior to Tulane, Wakama spent a year working in a similar Assistant Coach role at Stony Brook starting in July 2023. During the 2023-24 season, Stony Brook went 28-5 and advanced to the second round of the Women's Basketball Invitational Tournament after capturing the Coastal Athletic Association regular season title with a 16-2 record.
Previous to Stony Brook, she spent six seasons at Manhattan College where she served as the Director of Basketball Operations in her first two seasons before transitioning to the position of Assistant Coach/Recruiting Coordinator her final four years. As the Director of Operations at Manhattan College, she handed the day-to-day operations of the program, including organizing team travel, overseeing student managers, running all fundraising events and assisting with the program's community service initiatives.
Wakama served the Jaspers as an Assistant Coach and Recruiting Coordinator in her last four season with the program. In her role she oversaw the development of the wing/guard position players, while also leading as the team's academics and community service liaison.
Under the guidance of Wakama, Manhattan College earned a 21-11 record in the 2021-22 season, which were the most wins in a single season since their 2010-2011 season, and the team's third straight winning season, including a 14-6 record in MAAC play. She has mentored four MAAC Major Award winners, nine All-MAAC honorees and three MAAC All-Rookie Team recipients. Off the court, Wakama has helped 31 student-athletes earn MAAC All-Academic Team selections.
Prior to her time with the Jaspers, Wakama was the assistant coach for the Carolina Flames AAU organization, the organization that she played for growing up. On June 30, the Nigeria Women's Basketball team, D'Tigress, the Nigeria Basketball Federation (NBBF) announced the appointment of Coach Wakama as the new head coach. D'Tigress are the reigning African champions, having conquered the continent consecutively in 2017, 2019 and 2021.
The native of Raleigh, NC, Wakama spent her collegiate career at Western Carolina University. The guard made 121 starts over her four-year career and received Second Team Southern Conference All-Tournament honors during her senior year after averaging 10.4 points per game. In the classroom, she was a three-time SoCon Academic Team honoree. During her high school career at Wake Forest Rolesville, Wakama was named Cap-7 Most Valuable Player, McDonalds High School All-American nominee, earned All-District First Team and All-State First Team honors.
Wakama graduated from Western Carolina in 2014 with her bachelor's degree in therapeutic recreation and earned an MBA from Manhattan College in 2019.
Postgame WBB: HC Ashley Langford, Sherese Pittman, Victoria Keenan
Sunday, February 23
Postgame WBB: HC Ashley Langford - 2/15/25
Saturday, February 15
Postgame WBB: HC Ashley Langford, Kyren Whittington, & Amira Mary - 2/1/25
Saturday, February 01
Postgame WBB: HC Ashley Langford, Sherese Pittman, Victoria Keenan- 1/29/25
Thursday, January 30
