Meet Texas Tech’s Stephanie Okechukwu, the tallest player in women’s college basketball history

Texas Tech center Stephanie Okechukwu wrote her name into the record books on Thursday night when she won the opening tip in the Lady Raiders' 64-37 win over Charlotte, and officially became the tallest player to play in an NCAA Division I women's basketball game.

Okechukwu, a 7-foot-1 center who hails from Nigeria, finished with six points, 10 rebounds and three blocks on 2 of 6 from the field in 21 minutes. Okechukwu is the first 7-footer to play NCAA women's basketball; the tallest player previously was 6-foot-11 Marvadene Anderson, who played nine games for Pittsburgh.

Okechukwu was born in Umunneochi, Nigeria. One of seven siblings, her hobbies outside of basketball include "swimming, reading and social media," and she speaks English, Igbo and Japanese. As a teenager, she left Nigeria for Japan, where she attended Fukuchiyama Seibi High School and gained significant basketball experience.

Okechukwu, who has a 7-foot-4 wingspan and can dunk easily, signed with Texas Tech in January, but did not play in a game last season. In April, she participated in the Nigerian national team's training camp, though she was not a part of the country's final roster for the 2026 FIBA Women's World Cup.

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Original source: https://www.cbssports.com/