Former Arizona Wildcat Ify Ibekwe 'still in awe' of making Nigerian Olympic team

Ify Ibekwe is living the dream.

The former Wildcat has been playing professional basketball for the last nine years. She was drafted by the Seattle Storm and has played in Belgium, Spain, Australia, Turkey and Italy.

She is currently a power forward for Virtus Eirene Ragusa (Italy). In Wednesday’s 83-61 win over Palermo, Ibekwe scored 15 points, shooting 6 of 7 from the field.

Yet, it wasn’t until last Saturday when she achieved the ultimate — qualifying for the 2020 Olympics as a member of the Nigerian National Team.

“To represent my country, my culture, my parents’ native land, and having Nigeria across my chest, probably beats every single accolade I have received throughout my professional career,” Ibekwe said. “Being on that Olympic platform, representing Nigeria, representing who I am, nothing can beat that.”

In the actual moment she found out she was headed to the Olympics this summer, she said she felt blessed and hyped.

A week later, that feeling still hasn’t gone away.

“I’m still in awe,” she said. “People are still texting me ‘Congratulations on making it to the Olympics’ and that exact feeling hits me all over again.”

As a Wildcat from 2007-11, Ibekwe received numerous accolades including Pac-10 Defensive Player of the year, making the All-Pac 10 team three times and an All-American honorable mention nod twice.

She still holds records for rebounding in a season (352) and career (1,194), as well as rebound average in a season (11.6) and career (10.3) and career double-doubles (55).

She also holds a league record for rebounds in a single game (22).

Last season she was added to the UA’s Ring of Honor — only four other women’s basketball players are in this club: Adia Barnes, Shawntinice Polk, Davellyn White and Dee Dee Wheeler.

“It meant so much to me — I remember on my recruiting visit walking into the McKale Center, telling Coach (Joan Bonvicini), ‘My name will be up there one day,’” Ibekwe said. “To have that dream come true always reminds me of all the hard work I put in each and every year to grow as a player, to grow as a teammate, continue to be coachable, and most important to grow as a young woman.”

While it’s been more than a decade since Ibekwe was recruited to play at Arizona, Bonvicini is still family and the lessons she taught still have meaning.

“Coach Bonvicini taught me so much,” she said. “I still remember how much she pushed me my freshman year. She saw so much potential in me, that, of course I didn’t or couldn’t see in myself at that young age. She was a coach, a teacher, a mother and a friend for all her players.

“She taught me to always do my best, to be a kind person to everyone and if I really truly wanted to accomplish anything in life, I can. She just had and has extreme faith in my ability as a player, but also as a person — which has helped me throughout my career.”

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Twenty and counting

No. 12-ranked Arizona won its 20th game of the season Friday night in a 64-53 victory over Washington. It’s the first time in 17 years UA has won that many games in the regular season.

Arizona coach Barnes really hasn’t thought too much about it, as she is always focused only on the game in front of her — in this case Washington State (11-15, 4-10) Sunday at noon at McKale Center.

While the Wildcats know they have five games left and they will be checking off another goal shortly — making the NCAA Tournament – they aren’t talking about it.

“I don’t talk about that with the team. I just don’t want to think too hard about it, because I know we have to get wins — I just think about that,” Barnes said. “I wouldn’t have thought we’d be in a situation where we know we’re going to be in (the NCAA Tournament) for sure. And we’re not there yet, because we have five games to go. I just tend to narrow our focus and think one game at a time.”

Did Barnes imagine she’d have 20 wins on Feb. 14?

“No, I would not have believed you at all if you said that,” Barnes said. “If you said ‘Adia, do you think you’re only four losses will be two against Oregon, one UCLA, one Oregon State?’ I would have said there will be a couple more. I would not have believed you. I really wouldn’t.

“But we’re playing with confidence and we’re getting better.”

Sam Thomas: The X-factor

Barnes always knows she can count on Sam Thomas to provide consistent, lockdown defense every game. Barnes said others are just starting to realize what Thomas can do, yet she is still underrated.

“Today she had a whole bunch of tips that led to steals on top of her blocks,” Barnes said. “I think a lot of the stats that she gets doesn’t show because of that. She gets the deflection that leads to Aari (McDonald’s) steal. I think Aari’s defense is a lot more evident because it’s on the ball. She’s so fast. But, I think if you pay attention to Sam and watch her lockdown every game — and I think that people are doing that now — I think you appreciate that.

“I just hope because of her position — and it’s not on the ball, stealing all the time — I think it might be overlooked because of that (for Pac-12 defensive player of the year). But, I hope not, because I’m going to push her. I think she’s a great defender. Without her, it’s hard for us to win.”

Thomas’ numbers are actually very good — she has 42 steals. At 1.7 per game, she is in a three-way tie for fifth in the Pac-12. She is second on the team to McDonald, who has 64 and has 2.7 per game, which leads the conference.

Thomas’ performance of six blocks and four steals against Washington was a first in UA history.