As the 2025 FIBA Women’s AfroBasket intensifies at the Palais des Sports de Treichville in Abidjan, Ivory Coast, three stars of Nigeria’s D’Tigress, Murjanatu Musa, Amy Okonkwo, and Ezinne Kalu have been named among the top contenders in the tournament’s Most Valuable Player (MVP) Fan Vote.
Now in its knockout phase, the 29th edition of the biennial tournament has delivered thrilling performances and surprising results, including Uganda’s stunning upset over 11-time champions Senegal and South Sudan’s remarkable debut run to the quarter-finals.
Amid the team drama, standout individual efforts have also grabbed headlines. Nigeria’s trio—Musa, Okonkwo, and Kalu—have earned their place on a 20-player shortlist curated for fans to vote on their MVP of the competition, which concludes on Sunday, August 3.
Musa has been instrumental in Nigeria’s strong showing, posting double-digit scoring in key games. She began with 12 points in the team’s dominant 92–45 opener against Rwanda, followed by another 12 in the closely contested 60–55 win over Mozambique.
She currently averages 13.5 points and 8.5 rebounds per game.
Okonkwo has equally impressed, tallying 10 points against Rwanda and adding eight in the Mozambique clash. Veteran guard Ezinne Kalu, 33, opened the tournament with seven points and then upped her output with 16 in the second group game.
The D’Tigress players join a star-studded MVP shortlist that includes Dulcy Fankam and Jessica Thomas (Cameroon), Raneem Elgewady (Egypt), Bella Murekatete (Rwanda), Cierra Dillard and Ndioma Kane (Senegal), Sika Koné and Maimouna Haidara (Mali), Paige Robinson and Jane Asinde (Uganda), Masseny Kaba (Guinea), Nyamer Diew (South Sudan), Sara Caetano (Angola), Leia Dongue and Ingvild Mucauro (Mozambique), and Molly Kaiser and Kariata Diaby (Ivory Coast).
While the Fan Vote is not an official FIBA award, it provides an opportunity for basketball enthusiasts to celebrate and support the standout performers of the tournament.