From dominating the glass in Evanston to representing Nigeria on basketball’s biggest international stage, Pallas Kunaiyi-Akpanah continues to add to an impressive basketball journey.

The former Northwestern star is representing Team Nigeria at the FIBA Women’s Basketball World Cup, giving Wildcats fans another opportunity to watch one of the program’s all-time great rebounders compete at the highest level.

Kunaiyi-Akpanah left a lasting mark during her Northwestern career, establishing herself as one of the best rebounders in program history.

Across 121 games with the Wildcats, she recorded 1,112 career rebounds and 902 points while averaging 7.5 points and 9.2 rebounds per game. Her 1,112 career rebounds rank second in Northwestern history.

She was also a two-time All-Big Ten honoree and consistently gave Northwestern a physical presence in the frontcourt.

During the 2017-18 season, Kunaiyi-Akpanah averaged 11.3 points and 11.9 rebounds per game while recording 381 rebounds and 18 double-doubles.

She followed that up with another dominant season in 2018-19, averaging 10.9 points and 11.2 rebounds per game. She finished the season with 404 rebounds, setting a Northwestern single-season record, while recording 19 double-doubles.

Her impact continued into the postseason as Northwestern captured the 2019 WNIT championship. Kunaiyi-Akpanah grabbed 78 rebounds across six WNIT games, showcasing the rebounding ability that became a defining part of her career.

Now, Kunaiyi-Akpanah is taking that experience to the international stage with Nigeria.

Representing your country is one of the highest honors an athlete can achieve, and Kunaiyi-Akpanah has already built an extensive international résumé.

She has represented Nigeria at the Tokyo 2020 Olympics and Paris 2024 Olympics while also competing in multiple FIBA competitions.

Her latest opportunity gives her another chance to compete against some of the best players and teams in the world.

For Northwestern fans, it is another reminder of the level former Wildcats can reach long after their time in Evanston comes to an end.

Kunaiyi-Akpanah is one of several former Northwestern players who have continued to make an impact beyond college basketball.

Her journey from Northwestern to the Nigerian national team is a great example of how the program has helped develop players who can compete at the highest levels of the sport.

For a player who made rebounding such a major part of her identity at Northwestern, seeing her represent Nigeria on the international stage is another impressive chapter in her career.

Wildcats fans now have another reason to tune in and support one of Northwestern women’s basketball’s all-time greats.