MFM Women's Basketball Club has strengthened its grip on Nigerian women's basketball, winning another league title and individual honors. The club defeated First Bank in the Zenith Bank Women's Basketball League Final 8, securing their third national championship in four years. Idubamo Pius was named the Most Valuable Player, while Wandoo Hembam won the Best Three-Point Shooter award. The team's success is attributed to the support of its General Overseer, Dr. Daniel Olukoya, and his wife.
The MFM team's captain, Okoh Ukamaka, expressed gratitude to Dr. Olukoya and his wife for their continued commitment to the women's basketball program. She credited the coaching crew for maintaining the team's standards throughout the campaign. Ukamaka also emphasized the team's collective responsibility and togetherness, which contributed to their success. The team's latest title means they have now won the Zenith Bank Women's Basketball League three times in four years.
MFM's success was not built around one outstanding player but around a squad capable of producing match-winners across different positions. The All-Star Five included Favour Anari of ASO Sky, First Bank's Marylyn Ogbeide, and Nigeria Customs' Nkem Akaraiwe, who claimed the tournament's highest-scorer award. ASO Sky's Kasi completed the major individual honors by emerging as the competition's top rebounder.
The domestic celebrations for MFM will be brief, as the champions and runners-up will now carry Nigeria's hopes into the FIBA Africa Zone 3 qualifiers for the 2026 Africa Women's Basketball League. The continental tournament is scheduled for December 11-20 in Alexandria, Egypt. MFM will head into the next phase of the season with a national title, an unbeaten record, a tournament MVP, the best three-point shooter, and two members of the All-Star Five.
Nigeria Customs secured third place in the league, while First Bank settled for the runners-up position. The conference honors had earlier gone to Customs in the Savannah Conference and MFM in the Atlantic Conference. MFM's latest championship also saw them finish the campaign unbeaten.
The team's success has raised questions about whether Dr. Olukoya's Queens can turn their Nigerian supremacy into continental success. The club is already dominating the domestic scene, and the next challenge will be to perform well in the continental tournament.
The awards from the tournament include MVP Idubamo Pius of MFM, highest scorer Nkem Akaraiwe of Customs, highest 3-point shooter Wandoo Hembam of MFM, and top rebounder Kasi of Aso Sky. The Savannah Conference champion was Customs Basketball, and the Atlantic Conference champion was MFM Basketball.
Key points
- MFM Women's Basketball Club wins third national championship in four years
- Idubamo Pius named Most Valuable Player, Wandoo Hembam wins Best Three-Point Shooter award
- MFM to participate in FIBA Africa Zone 3 qualifiers for 2026 Africa Women's Basketball League
