Since scoring 21 points to help Nigeria secure a spot in the elimination round at the Olympics in Paris by downing Canada 79-70 on Sunday, August 4, Ezinne Kalu has been on the lips of Nigerians.
The 32-year-old was born on June 26, 1992, in Newark, New Jersey, United States to Joseph Kalu and Gwendolyn Covington. Her father is Nigerian while her mother was born and raised in Greenville, South Carolina.
Following the victory against Canada, Kalu had a giant smile on her face as she joined her teammates for a celebratory run around the court with Nigerian flags.
Nigeria had reached a place no African country in men’s or women’s basketball had ever gone before — the quarterfinals of the Olympics.
“It means a lot, you know, not just to us as a team, but to the entire world of Africa,” Kalu said. “It only gets harder from here.”
She was named the game’s Most Valuable Player (MVP).
After graduating from Science Park High School in Newark in 2010, Kalu received a full scholarship to HBCU Savannah State University in Savannah, Georgia. She graduated in May 2015 with a bachelor’s degree in African Studies.
After graduating from the university, Kalu spent two seasons in the Portuguese Championship. She has had stints in Hungary and Germany and currently plays as a point guard for French side Landerneau which she joined in 2019. The Nigerian averaged 15.7 points, 3.4 rebounds and 3.2 assists in the 2019-2020 season.
Her journey with D’Tigress began at the 2016 FIBA women’s Olympic qualifying tournament.
In the 2017, 2019 and 2021 Afrobasket events, she represented D’Tigress, Africa’s highest-ranked side, and won three straight championships with the team. She was named 2019 Women’s Afrobasket MVP.
Kalu also participated in Tokyo 2020 Olympics in July 2021 and was part of the Nigerian team that narrowly lost to Team USA, leading the team with 16 points.
To progress at Paris Olympics, D’Tigress will play familiar foes, Team USA, the Olympic defending champions, in the quarterfinal on Wednesday night, August 7.
