Monica Okoye

{{Infobox basketball biography

| name = Monica Okoye

| image = Monica Okoye.jpg

| image_size = 150px

| caption = Okoye with the Fujitsu Red Wave in 2019

| height_cm = 183

| weight_kg =

| position = Forward

| league = WNBL

| team = Canberra Capitals

| number = 99

| birth_date = {{Birth date and age|1999|2|7|df=y}}

| birth_place = Tokyo, Japan

| high_school = Myojo Gakuen (Tokyo, Japan)

| career_start = 2017

| career_end =

| years1 = 2017–2019

| team1 = Denso Iris

| years2 = 2019–2022

| team2 = Fujitsu Red Wave

| years3 = 2022–2023

| team3 = AO Eleutheria Moschato

| years4 = 2023

| team4 = Geelong United Supercats

| years5 = 2023–present

| team5 = Canberra Capitals

| medaltemplates =

{{MedalCountry|{{bkw|JPN}}}}

}}

{{Nihongo|Monica Okoye|オコエ桃仁花|Okoe Monika|born 7 February 1999}} is a Japanese professional basketball player for the Canberra Capitals of the Women's National Basketball League (WNBL). She also plays for the Japanese national team.

Early life

Okoye was born and raised in Tokyo, Japan.{{cite web|last=David|first=Dione|url=https://the-riotact.com/i-will-fight-for-this-team-first-wnbl-japanese-national-vows-to-bring-her-a-game-to-the-uc-caps/723348|title='I will fight for this team' – first WNBL Japanese national vows to bring her A game to the UC Caps|website=the-riotact.com|date=5 December 2023|access-date=18 February 2024}} She attended Myojo Gakuen High School.{{cite web|url=https://archive.fiba.com/pages/eng/fa/player/p/pid/112051/sid/8096/tid/309/_/2016_FIBA_U17_Women%E2%80%99s_World_Championship/index.html|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20211214194322/http://archive.fiba.com/pages/eng/fa/player/p/pid/112051/sid/8096/tid/309/_/2016_FIBA_U17_Women%E2%80%99s_World_Championship/index.html|url-status=dead|archive-date=December 14, 2021|title=Monica Okoye|website=fiba.com|access-date=18 February 2024}}

Professional career

Okoye debuted in the Women's Japan Basketball League in the 2017–18 season with Denso Iris. She played two seasons for Denso before joining Fujitsu Red Wave in 2019, where she played three seasons.{{cite web|url=https://basketball.australiabasket.com/player/Monica-Okoye/400186?Women=1|title=Monica Okoye|website=asia-basket.com|access-date=18 February 2024|url-access=subscription}}

For the 2022–23 season, Okoye joined AO Eleutheria Moschato of the Greek Women's Basketball League.

Okoye moved to Australia to play for the Geelong United Supercats of the NBL1 South in the 2023 season.{{cite web|url=https://www.geelongunitedbasketball.com.au/2023/07/monica-a-capital-gain-for-canberra|title=Monica a capital gain for Canberra|website=geelongunitedbasketball.com.au|date=3 July 2023|access-date=18 February 2024}}

On 3 July 2023, Okoye signed with the Canberra Capitals of the Women's National Basketball League (WNBL) for the 2023–24 season.{{cite web|url=https://wnbl.basketball/uc-capitals/news/uc-capitals-score-japanese-national-player-monica-okoye/|title=UC CAPITALS SCORE JAPANESE NATIONAL PLAYER MONICA OKOYE|website=wnbl.basketball/uc-capitals|date=3 July 2023|access-date=18 February 2024}}

National team

Okoye played for the Japanese national team at the 2018 FIBA Women's Basketball World Cup.{{cite web|title=Monica Okoye (Jpn)'s profile - FIBA Women's Basketball World Cup 2018|url=http://www.fiba.basketball/womensbasketballworldcup/2018/player/Monica-Okoye|website=FIBA.basketball|accessdate=2018-12-25}} She competed at the 2020 Summer Olympics, winning a silver medal.{{Cite web|title=Monica OKOYE at the Tokyo 2020 Women's Olympic Basketball Tournament 2020|url=http://www.fiba.basketball/olympics/women/2020/player/Monica-Okoye|access-date=2021-08-13|website=FIBA.basketball|language=en}}{{Cite web|title=Basketball OKOYE Monica|url=https://olympics.com/tokyo-2020/olympic-games/en/results/basketball/athlete-profile-n1313639-okoye-monica.htm|url-status=dead|access-date=2021-08-13|work=Tokyo 2020 Olympics|publisher=Tokyo Organising Committee of the Olympic and Paralympic Games|language=en-us|archive-date=2021-08-13|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210813181120/https://olympics.com/tokyo-2020/olympic-games/en/results/basketball/athlete-profile-n1313639-okoye-monica.htm}}

Personal life

Monica's mother is Japanese and her father is Nigerian of Igbo descent.{{cite web|url=https://mainichi.jp/english/articles/20190101/p2a/00m/0na/014000c|title=Heisei Transformations: New definitions of what it means to be 'Japanese'|website=mainichi.jp|date=1 January 2019|access-date=18 February 2024}}{{cite web|url=https://www.adidas.com.sg/monica_okoye|title=Monica Okoye|website=Adidas|access-date=18 February 2024}} Her older brother, Louis, plays professional baseball for the Yomiuri Giants.{{cite news|url=https://www.nikkansports.com/sports/news/201805300000498.html|title=オコエ桃仁花、Ａ代表入りへ「チャンスつかみたい」|work=Nikkan Sports|date=30 May 2018|access-date=29 July 2021|language=ja}}