Queen's coach Agunbiade relating to players through own experiences

Burlington, Ont. (by David DiCenzo) - Wumi Agunbiade has always had the ability to see the game of basketball through a specific lens.

Born in Scarborough and raised in Pickering, Agunbiade developed into an elite player with an incredible resume. She rose from coveted high school recruit to NCAA athlete at Duquesne University, and ultimately, a professional with Canadian national team experience. Agunbiade’s versatile game allowed her to attack opponents on multiple fronts, whether utilizing speed to drive past bigger defenders or slick post-up skills to dominate smaller ones. It was about recognizing where the potential advantage existed and relying on her anchor moves like a deadly turnaround fadeaway and a masterful pull-up J. Combine those traits with a hunger to compete, and it’s easy to understand how she accomplished so much on the court.

But underneath the player, a coach was inevitably emerging.

“I had a curiosity surrounding coaching,” says Agunbiade, a current assistant coach in the Queen’s Gaels women’s basketball program. “I was fortunate to have very influential, positive leaders in my life.

“I remember a day in grade seven, my coach couldn’t make it to practice because of a storm. I was happy, thinking that I could jump in and lead the practice. There were moments like that. At Duquesne, I sometimes zoomed out while playing and saw myself as the coach in that setting.

“I didn’t think much of it at the time, but that’s the way life has worked out.”

Agunbiade feels privileged to have experienced her life in basketball “on the shoulders of giants,” her Jamaican mother Jennifer and Nigerian father Bill, and stepparents Sarah and Clive prominent among those who showed her what was possible. Manners were among the many values prioritized for her and her siblings in their Pickering household. Agunbiade’s older brother Marlon, a raw but supremely skilled player, was the one who introduced her to basketball.

She fell in love with it right away. Agunbiade would shoot baskets whenever she could, even at daycare, prompting the staff to tell Jennifer that her daughter was destined to be a player. By the time she joined Pickering’s Dunbarton high school program, with stints at the rep Scarborough Blues and AAU ‘A’ Game, Agunbiade had become the focal point on her teams. The recruiting letters rolled in, which was both confusing and overwhelming. But Agunbiade eventually found clarity.

“I had great conversations with different coaches, but I really connected with the people from Duquesne,” she says. “I was a shy person, and they did a really good job of helping me navigate the process. It brought a sense of comfort to my decision. I trusted my gut and took this leap of faith.”

At Duquesne, Agunbiade got to experience everything that goes with a high-pressure environment. The competition was at an entirely different level. Agunbiade, who won the Atlantic 10 Rookie of the Year award and was a three-time all-conference player, was going up against ridiculously talented athletes, the best she says was the University of Delaware and WNBA star Elena Delle Donne.

“I was so rooted in the love of the game and the work,” Agunbiade says of the NCAA experience, where she racked up over 1,700 points and 900 rebounds as a Dukes player. “I put countless hours into it. And regardless of where you are playing, the game doesn’t change. There are still 10 players on the court, and the hoop size doesn’t change.

“I truly believe that basketball is a universal language.”

That approach was critical to Agunbiade’s adaptation to pro ball. In her senior year at Duquesne, agents began to reach out. She opted to play in Romania first, with additional stops in Italy and Germany before a lingering meniscus injury in her knee put a halt to her playing days. But before Agunbiade hung up the kicks for good, she earned an honour few have experienced. She spent five years with the national program representing Canada on the international stage.

“When I finally got my jersey, it was pretty emotional,” she says. “Being the daughter of two immigrant parents, it felt like I was paying homage to my family and all of the hard work they put in so we could live in Canada comfortably. It was a joyous time.”

Coaching is now giving Agunbiade a vehicle to return the love, support, and guidance she received. Her list of stops is impressive. While completing a Master’s of Business Administration at the University of Pittsburgh, Agunbiade was a graduate assistant coach for the Pitt women’s team. She held the role of junior coach with the Raptors 905 and then became an assistant coach with the Guelph Nighthawks of the Canadian Elite Basketball League, where she was tasked with athlete development in addition to her practice and in-game responsibilities.

In 2019, Agunbiade founded Hoopers Loop, a Toronto-based and online holistic program designed to empower young girls on their basketball journeys and beyond. Through events and workshops, participants learn more than on-court skills – they get an education on how to consistently perform at their best.

“It came about during my time with the Raptors 905,” Agunbiade says. “I was reflecting on my career and felt like I wanted to share all of the things that I was able to learn with the next generation, especially off of the court. It’s one thing to be able to dribble a basketball, or score, or finish, but it’s something else to be able to bring yourself to a level where you can perform at your highest. My motivation was to really help young girls, and my younger self, to become the best versions of themselves, while leveraging their sport and building a community. That’s at the core of it.”

Agunbiade has embraced the opportunity at Queen’s, where she connects deeply with the Gaels players far beyond the X’s and O’s of the game. She has lived through so many great experiences, these unique moments to draw on so she can impart wisdom. Agunbiade believes in a “less is more” approach when leading, with hard work and fun being the foundation for her players’ success.

She also reminds herself of those giants whose shoulders she stood on. It’s come full circle – young players are now standing on hers.  

“I’m able to relate to them through my own experiences, as a former student-athlete,” Agunbiade says. “I’m empathetic to the fact that they are balancing so much from the sport and all the intricacies of playing on a collegiate team, from navigating playing time to their level of play, and all of the other things that impact their game outside of those four lines. That includes social life, both in-person and online, and academics, all while trying to learn more about themselves.

“They’re really in a moulding phase of life and I’m very aware of the impact that I have on them. I give them a space where they know I’m not there to judge them but to support, cheer them on, and be honest with them. We’re able to see each other through a transparent lens.

“It’s worked out prey well so far. I’m fortunate. They’re all just great human beings.”