Amy Okonkwo leaves D'Tigress tour to sign with Portland Fire

D’Tigress captain Amy Okonkwo has been granted permission to temporarily leave the Nigerian national team's camp in China. The move allows the star forward to travel to the United States to finalize a new contract with the Portland Fire.

Okonkwo joins the WNBA franchise under the league's Season-Ending Injury Exception clause. She will serve as a replacement for Sarah Ashlee Barker, who is unavailable for the rest of the season due to a torn ACL. The Nigerian forward is expected to return to the national squad in time for the FIBA Women’s World Cup in Germany later this month.

The 29-year-old veteran arrives in Portland following stints with the Dallas Wings and the Atlanta Dream. During her nine WNBA regular-season appearances over the last two years, she averaged 11 points, 3.1 rebounds, and 1.4 steals while playing for the Wings. After being waived by Dallas earlier this year, she signed a developmental deal with Atlanta in May before being released on July 8.

Okonkwo's professional career has seen extensive time playing in several international leagues, including stints in Spain, France, Israel, and Mexico. In France, she recorded averages of 12 points and six rebounds per game. Her collegiate career included time at the University of Southern California and Texas Christian University, where she earned All-Big 12 Second Team honours in 2018 and 2019.

On the international stage, the two-time AfroBasket MVP has been a central figure for Nigeria. She averaged 17.4 points and 8.2 rebounds during the 2023 AfroBasket and helped lead the team to a fifth straight continental title in 2025 with 14 points per game. She also represented Nigeria at the Tokyo 2020 Olympics and the Paris 2024 Olympics, where she averaged 11 points and 4.8 rebounds as the team reached the quarter-finals.