The NCAA has granted Texas Tech women's basketball player Stephanie Okechukwu four years of eligibility. The NCAA first granted her two years. Texas Tech then submitted a waiver seeking two more years so she could complete her degree while playing for the Lady Raiders.
Associate coach and general manager Erik DeRoo told Okechukwu the news. A video of the moment was posted Wednesday on Texas Tech's Lady Raider Basketball account. Okechukwu, who is from Nigeria, signed with Texas Tech in January 2026 as a midseason addition. She did not play in a game last season and is listed as a sophomore center on the 2026-27 roster.
Texas Tech says Okechukwu, at 7 feet, 1 inch, is the tallest player in women's college basketball history. She has a 7-foot-4 wingspan. She attended high school in Japan, and the Olympics said she also developed her game through international competition and AAU basketball in the Philippines.