Ochuko Owolabi, nee Okorogun, has lived multiple basketball lives. She began as a dynamic player and captain with Dolphins, then guided the club to a league title as coach.
She served as D’Tigress assistant coach during their 2017 AfroBasket triumph, and now leads MFM Women’s Basketball to consecutive league crowns, a feat that places her among the most respected female coaches in Nigerian basketball. Her story is one of evolution, persistence, and the grit required to keep winning.
At a celebratory event organised by MFM Director Godwin Enakhena, Owolabi spoke to www.aclsports.com about her path, the lessons from her playing days, and the toll of leadership.
Her experience as a player, she says, still shapes her decisions from the sidelines.
“It made coaching a bit easier, but it’s still hard. As a former player coaching a female team, I know what I didn’t like as a player and avoid it. What I liked, I do more. I understand the girls better because I’m a woman, but the stress is still there.”
Ironically, coaching wasn’t something she actively pursued.
“It was the late Dolphins owner, Mr Gbadebowale Aboderin, who noticed how I explained things to teammates. One day he told me, ‘You’ll be a good coach.’ I refused, but he said, ‘You’re already a coach without knowing.’ He’d hand me the role mid-session and I became a player-coach, then assistant, and after he died, head coach.”
Owolabi credits MFM’s success to a shared commitment that runs through the entire team, from players to backroom staff.
“It was hard work from the girls and my crew, assistant coach, physio, secretary. Everyone contributed.”
But she knows that winning twice is only the beginning. Keeping her players mentally sharp for the next challenge takes constant work.
“Girls can be stubborn. Like a mother, I repeat instructions and act when they relax. I look for things that will really get to them.”
That drive is strengthened when her players see their peers reach bigger stages. National team call-ups, like Wandoo Hembam Marvis, Idumabo Beggi Pius and Abigail Isaac, are proof that the hard work is paying off.
“It makes me happy and my job easier. When your player is called up, it shows we’re doing something right.”
Still, the role takes a toll, especially when balanced with motherhood.
“Coaching is mentally, emotionally, and physically draining. I take paracetamol almost daily. With two kids, it’s not easy. I’m not tired of winning, but the stress is tiring.”
Her proudest moment so far? Winning MFM’s second title.
“People thought the first was a fluke. We proved them wrong, even without our MVP and other key players.”
Owolabi is also outspoken about the need for systemic improvement in Nigerian women’s basketball, stressing that home-based players deserve more opportunities.
“If you won’t use them, what’s the point of having a league?” she asked. “For the national team, even for a winning side like D’Tigress, we’ve got to do better. Start camping months before tournaments. Other countries prepare better. We can’t rely on luck. Players need time together to truly blend.”
To female coaches, her advice is simple but powerful.
“When I started, they said basketball was for male coaches. Don’t give up. If you love and understand the game, your gender shouldn’t matter. Look at Rena Wakama making history, took Nigeria to the Olympics, broke records and winning the AfroBasket back-to-back. Just believe in yourself, then prove it.”
