Incoming Stanford freshman Nora Ezike ’29 will represent Nigeria at the International Basketball Federation (FIBA) U19 Women’s Basketball World Cup, taking place July 12 to 20 in Brno, Czechia.
The tournament, a biennial competition, features the world’s best under-19 women’s national teams. Sixteen teams qualify through regional championships held across FIBA’s continental zones, bringing together many of the sport’s most promising young players.
Nigeria began group play with a historic 93-88 victory over China on July 12 — the country’s first-ever win at the FIBA U19 Women’s Basketball World Cup. Nora Ezike led the team with a flawless performance, scoring 25 points along with six rebounds, four assists and two steals in her debut game for Nigeria.
On July 13, Nigeria lost to Canada 113-42 in a game where Canada set a tournament record for most three-pointers. They closed out group play on July 15 with a 79-61 loss to Portugal, finishing with a 1-2 record.
All teams will advance to the Round of 16, where Nigeria will compete against a team from Group A, which includes the U.S., Israel, Hungary and Korea.
For Ezike, the opportunity is as personal as it is competitive.
“I can’t be more honoured and humbled to have the opportunity to play on the world stage representing Nigeria,” Ezike wrote in an email to The Daily.
As a four-star recruit and the No. 85 player nationally, Ezike joins one of the nation’s most anticipated freshman groups at Stanford and brings a standout high school résumé to The Farm. She averaged 21 points and seven rebounds her senior season, broke the school’s single-season scoring record with 713 points, and earned first team honors from the Illinois Basketball Coaches Association. Off the court, Ezike was valedictorian of her class at Lyons Township, Illinois.
Ezike began training with the Stanford team at the end of June, and credits this experience for helping prepare her to compete internationally.
“I’ve pushed myself and been pushed by my coaches and teammates to reach a higher level of play and intensity,” she wrote. “Training with some of the best basketball players should serve me well in this tournament.”
Katy Steding, assistant coach for the Stanford women’s basketball team, began recruiting Ezike over a year ago and was impressed from the start.
“She’s very good at scoring around the rim and getting up and down in transition. She blocks shots, she rebounds, she defends,” Steding said. “She’s going to be quite a player here.”
Beyond Ezike’s athleticism, her consistency and presence stood out to Steding as well.
“She just plays hard and doesn’t ride the roller coaster,” she said. “That kind of mindset goes a long way in our system.”
This won’t be Stanford’s first connection to Nigeria’s national team. Ezike follows in the footsteps of Ros Gold-Onwude M.A. ’10 B.A. ’09 and Enjoli Izidor ’02, who both competed in major international tournaments for Nigeria. More recently, Shay Ijiwoye ’28 represented the country at the 2024 Nike Hoop Summit.
“Getting to play for your country can raise a player’s goals for how far they want to go in the sport,” Steding said. “Nora’s going to be relied on right away, and that kind of experience can only help her and help us when she comes back.”
On top of competing internationally and training with the Stanford team, Ezike is also taking two summer courses.
“She’s got her hands full, but she’s handled it really well,” Steding said. “She’s been in touch with her professors, her academic advisor and our staff to stay on top of everything. She has a strong support system, and she’s using it.”
Ezike herself is embracing this moment, which marks her first time competing internationally and representing Nigeria.
“I’m excited to connect not just with my teammates but with other talented players from all across the globe,” she wrote. “And I’m excitedly nervous to play on this grand stage and compete for a World Cup championship.”
All games can be watched live on FIBA’s YouTube channel.