D'Tigress star Pallas Kunaiyi-Akpanah is at the peak of her powers after a third straight AfroBasket triumph with Nigeria and the Foreign MVP award in Italy's Lega Basket Femminile, but her next mission is a championship with new team Derthona Basket Scrivia.
The 28-year-old centre/power forward won a league title in Belgium with Namur-Capitale in 2020-21. That, however, is the only league title the former Northwestern Wildcats player has to her name in her professional career. Kunaiyi-Akpanah has yet to win the top-flight trophy in Italy despite a host of individual awards.
She reached the league semi-finals last season with Magnolia Basket Campobasso after a third-place finish in the regular season. By her own account, she was thrilled with the setup there. However, the ambition of Derthona - who made the quarter-finals after finishing fourth in their first regular season after promotion to the top flight - caught her attention.
"My former team [Campobasso] was an amazing organisation - the players and the coaches - so I definitely have them to give credit to. It feels amazing, so thank you to the league for giving me that [MVP] award," Kunaiyi-Akpanah told ESPN.
"Derthona was one of the teams, also, that surprised everyone last season. Last season was their first season [after promotion] and they came in and competed so well. The organisation has so much ambition and they aspire to be the best and that's one of the things that really attracted me to them.
"I've always wanted to be part of a group of people that really believe in themselves and really see themselves achieving the heights. When they started observing me and considering me as a player, I was grateful. I'm still happy to be part of this journey to reach those heights.
"I obviously want to not just win individual accolades, but I definitely want my organisation or my teams to win as well. I definitely want us to get to the playoffs again this season. I want to compete in the finals. I see that being a huge next step and that's going to be part of the journey this season for sure."
It had been difficult for Kunaiyi-Akpanah to return to ordinary life ahead of the 2024-25 season after the high of the 2024 Paris Olympics, where Nigeria made the quarter-finals and were eliminated by eventual gold medallists Team USA.
"That was such an amazing high for Nigeria and for our team, D'Tigress - getting to go to the Olympics and then compete in the quarter-finals and breaking the record [by becoming the first men's or women's African team in the quarter-finals was an] historic experience," Kunaiyi-Akpanah said.
"It definitely was a high and then, to come back out of it and adjusting to the regular routine of life again was an interesting experience. If we had to go back and do it all over again, we probably wouldn't do anything differently."
Kunaiyi-Akpanah managed to get back on track personally in Italy, averaging 11.1 rebounds and 2.1 steals per game last season - putting her among the league's top five in those two categories.
This season, she has so far fared even better, averaging a double-double at 12.8 points and 13.8 rebounds - as well as 1.7 steals per game.
Nigeria were able to regroup after their Olympic exit and win the 2025 Women's AfroBasket in Abidjan earlier this year. Kunaiyi-Akpanah averaged 4.6 points and 5.2 rebounds per game. She had a significant impact in only 10 minutes on the floor in the final against Mali, with nine points and a rebound in a 78-64 win.
Next on Kunaiyi-Akpanah's agenda is helping Derthona climb up the standings in Serie A1 - where they have won their last two games after losing their first four league fixtures this season.
It will not be long before her next chance to shine in D'Tigress colours, however. The AfroBasket triumph ensured that Nigeria became the fifth team to qualify for the 2026 Women's FIBA World Cup in Berlin. Next September, they will have the opportunity to improve upon their best performance to date at the World Cup - eighth place in 2018.
"[The Olympics] was one of the most emotional experiences and most intense overall, but we're grateful and we keep striving for more," Kunaiyi-Akpanah said.
"Next opportunity we get, definitely - with the World Cup coming up - that will be another opportunity to take a step forward."
ESPN Africa will air the Women's FIBA World Cup, as well as men's and women's FIBA fixures for the next four years.