Nigeria’s D’Tigress shooting guard, Sarah Ogoke may be set for a return to competitive basketball after months away from the court.
The 35-year-old, who has been absent from Nigeria’s national team for about a year, missed the 2024 Paris Olympic Games due to personal reasons. Ogoke, who captained D’Tigress to their fourth consecutive FIBA Women’s Afrobasket title in Kigali, Rwanda in 2023, had previously assured fans she had not retired.
“I haven’t retired, this is not the last you’ll hear of me playing basketball. It wasn’t an easy situation or an easy decision,” she said after her omission from the Olympic roster.
Now, signs point to a possible return. In a recent post on her X (formerly Twitter) account, Ogoke hinted at her comeback, writing, “Giving birth is hard. Basketball is easy.” The post, which included practice videos of her on court, appeared to confirm that she recently became a mother—possibly explaining her extended break.
Ogoke, an alumna of Southern Polytechnic State University in Georgia, has had an illustrious career with D’Tigress. She has competed in seven FIBA Women’s Afrobasket tournaments since 2011, winning four gold medals in 2017 (Mali), 2019 (Senegal), 2021 (Cameroon), and 2023 (Rwanda).
She also played a key role in Nigeria’s historic run to the quarterfinals at the 2018 FIBA Women’s Basketball World Cup in Spain and featured at the Tokyo 2020 Olympics, held in 2021. Additionally, she earned a bronze medal at the 2011 African Games in Mozambique and a silver medal at the 2015 edition in Congo.
Ogoke’s possible return would boost D’Tigress as they look to build on their continental dominance and regain their momentum on the global stage.
