Last-minute Olympian: Former Kentucky women’s basketball player headed to Summer Games.
Adebola Adeyeye is an Olympian.
Nigeria Basketball Federation and Nigerian women’s national team coach Rena Wakama announced the final roster for the Nigerian Olympic team on Wednesday, and the former University of Kentucky forward made the cut.
Adeyeye, a Brampton, Ontario, native, played four seasons at Buffalo prior to her graduate season at Kentucky in 2022-23. In Adeyeye’s fifth and final season of basketball, her experience and leadership were relied upon by former head coach Kyra Elzy during a frustrating 12-19 (2-14 SEC) campaign. With the Wildcats, Adeyeye averaged 4.6 points and 5.0 rebounds in 31 games. She made 12 starts.
Adeyeye, a 6-foot-2 forward, is the second Kentucky basketball alumna set to compete in Paris this summer; 2022 graduate and top-overall WNBA draft pick Rhyne Howard will go for gold with USA’s three-on-three basketball squad.
De’Tigress, the Nigerian women’s national team, returns half of the players from the Tokyo roster, including Promise Amukamara and Ezinne Kalu. The Paris roster also includes former Georgia Tech, Louisville and Duke guard Elizabeth Balogun, former Delaware forward Nicole Enabosi and former Penn State, Texas and Notre Dame center Lauren Ebo.
The roster lost two friendlies last weekend, falling 70-62 to Serbia on Sunday and 77-63 to Germany on Friday.
According to Nigerian news outlet Premium Times, this is De’Tigress’ third trip to the Olympic Games after appearances in 2004 and 2020. The team was to round out friendly play Wednesday with a game against Japan before a tough slate of opponents in Group B, Australia, France and Canada.
When the Olympics begin in France, Nigeria will face Australia on July 29 (5 a.m. EDT), France on Aug. 1 (11:15 a.m.) and Canada on Aug. 4 (7:30 a.m.).
This story was originally published July 24, 2024 at 4:29 PM.
