Unlike most hoopers, basketball was not something Tabitha Amanze envisioned shaping her life early on. That changed on an ordinary walk to the market in her home of Ogun State, Nigeria, when she was about 12 years old.
The now-Cavalier senior forward was walking alongside her sister when a local coach stopped her, noticing her height, and made a comment she was all too familiar with. She had received comments like this before — “You're tall, go play volleyball.” But this time, the coach’s suggestion was not volleyball, like she was used to hearing — it was basketball.
The coach extended an invitation — which Amanze accepted — to join a community basketball group, and she began playing in informal practices with a small group of girls. The sessions were loosely organized and low-pressure, focusing more on learning the basics and building connections rather than competition and structure.
“There were a bunch of girls my age that just seemed to have fun together,” Amanze said. “And honestly, the girls were the reason I kept coming back.”
That early environment filled with feelings of joy and belonging became the foundation of Amanze’s relationship with the sport. Eventually, her participation in the recreational league created an opportunity for Amanze to venture to the United States. She received assistance through a nonprofit called Hope 4 Girls Africa — an organization her guardian was involved with — which aims to empower young African girls through sports. Thanks to Hope 4 Girls Africa, Amanze had the opportunity to attend Blair Academy, a boarding school in New Jersey. Blair Academy is highly regarded for its girls’ basketball program, which has garnered 10 state championships.
At Blair Academy, despite being limited to two seasons of play due to injuries and the COVID-19 pandemic, Amanze’s team won a pair of State Prep A titles and three conference championships. Out of high school, Amanze was No. 43 on ESPN HoopGurlz rankings and a four-star recruit.
The 6-foot-4 forward spent three years at one of America’s most prestigious universities, Princeton, where she started only three games across two seasons of play among talented teammates. While the experience provided growth, limited playing time left her searching for a place to further her development. Subsequently, Amanze entered the transfer portal despite some apprehension about the decision.
“There's a lot of uncertainty about … putting your name in the portal,” Amanze said. “And I was like, I don't know what trade-offs I'll be making now, so much uncertainty.”
Her official visit to Charlottesville made the decision clear. Conversations with Coach Amaka Agugua-Hamilton, film sessions and the team’s culture all aligned with what she was looking for — an environment that resembled the communal joy that first drew her to basketball in Nigeria.
“The coaches have done a great job of creating a culture where everyone just feels like a part of the team, feels very welcome, whether you play X amount of minutes or not,” Amanze said. “On day-to-day occurrences, I feel like I belong here. I feel like these are my girls. I feel like I have people to lean on, even if the basketball tomorrow stops bouncing.”
The feeling of belonging has allowed Amanze to thrive with the Cavaliers. On the court, she has emerged as one of Virginia’s most impactful players on both sides of the ball, leading the team in total rebounds and blocks while serving as Virginia’s second-leading scorer — all in an average of 22 minutes per game. Off the court, Amanze credits her upbringing in Nigeria and her Christian faith for shaping how she approaches the game and her teammates.
“I grew up in a small part of Nigeria. [When I was] very young, I was taught the benefits of just working hard, but even more importantly, treating people well as you'd want to be treated,” Amanze said. “I'm also Christian, so I think a lot of those values, as a Nigerian and as a Christian, apply to my day-to-day … I treat basketball as a gift that God has given me, and I try to work hard at it.”
That emphasis on effort and selflessness fits seamlessly into Virginia’s identity. For Amanze, the Cavaliers are at their best as a team when they remain under control, share the ball and commit to rebounding on every possession.
Even after recent close losses tainted Virginia’s undefeated ACC start, Amanze remains confident in the team’s trajectory.
“It was a little test that we had to go through, unfortunately,” Amanze said. “But I strongly believe that we've learned from it, and in games to come, [we will] know how to handle situations like that ... I think the biggest thing for us is that we've picked up lessons that we should take with us, and we're moving forward from it.”
Amanze sees far more still on the table with an ACC Championship run and a deep postseason push among them. But perhaps her most meaningful achievement has already shone through. Every chapter of her journey has added depth to the player Virginia now sees.
“Virginia has just given me a fresh start,” Amanze said. “So far, I can say Virginia has given me that love for basketball. Playing here, wearing Virginia across my [chest], playing for the school here, playing for Coach Mox has given me that opportunity to fall in love with basketball again.”
From an out-of-the-blue invitation in Ogun State to finding a renewed sense of purpose in Charlottesville, Amanze’s extensive journey has never followed a straight line. It has been shaped by community, by the courage to step into uncertainty and by a desire to rediscover the joy that made her fall in love with the sport. Step by step, her journey has been guided by joy, resilience and a belief that sometimes the most meaningful paths are the ones you never planned to take.
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