In 2011, Adaora Elonu reached the pinnacle of the collegiate game in helping lead Texas A&M to the 2011 National Championship.

Now, she's back on top of the basketball world, but this time on an even bigger stage.

A forward on the Nigerian women's national basketball team, Elonu and her teammates are taking their country back to the Olympics for the first time in 16 years after qualifying this past week at the FIBA Women's Qualifying Tournament in Belgrade.

"It's a stage I have watched before and have felt far away from," Elonu said. "Yet over the past four years playing for Nigeria, it was a top priority and one that we saw as very attainable. So going into the different competitions and qualifiers we always had the Olympics on our mind."

Currently, Adaora lives in Girona, Spain and plays for a EuroLeague team called Spar Uni Girona. In her limited free time she is a member of Hope For Us Charity, an Africa-centered, non-profit charity geared to better healthcare, education, creating sustainability and stopping injustice. Her brother, Chinemelua standout on Billy Gillispie and Mark Turgeon's Aggie basketball teamsis the charity's vice president.

When she takes the court in Tokyo, she'll become the first Aggie women's basketball player to compete in the sport in the Olympic games.

Elonu was a four-year starter for Gary Blair that was on four straight NCAA Tournament teams, three of which advanced to the Sweet 16 and one the 2011 squad winning it all. She has played in more games than all but one player in school history.

"I want to say congratulations to the first Olympian ever to compete in basketball from the women's basketball program at A&M," Coach Blair said. "She is not only representing Nigeria, but the also the United States, Texas A&M, the city of Houston and the state of Texas. On a personal note, I am honored to say I was her coach during four of my best years in coaching. "

Her team's road to Tokyo was not an easy one.

Ranked 17th in the world, Nigeria also known as "D'Tigeress"raced through the pre-qualifying tournament in Africa back in November to earn a trip to this event. Elonu scored 12 points and added nine rebounds in a win over the host country, Mozambique, and then posted a 10-point, 3-rebound, 5-assist effort in a victory over Mali that punched the ticket to Serbia.

With the Olympic dream so close, Nigeria was then placed into a power-packed pod in the group stage that included not only a rematch with Mozambique but the host country and seventh-ranked Serbians as well as the world's No. 1 team USA.

Up first was Mozambique, and Nigeria erased all doubt with a 34-point win.

"We wanted to make sure we performed well and put ourselves in a good position before facing the home team in Serbia," Elonu said. "We'd played Mozambique prior in the pre-qualifiers and didn't want to be complacent. They know our game and style and likewise, so the game started off difficult but once we adjusted and settled in we were able to sustain a distance that lead us to the crucial win."

Nigeria's Olympic berth became official when Team USA cruised past Mozambique two days later. Despite losing its final two games, D'Tigeress suffered a six-point defeat to Serbia and a five-point loss to Team USA results that have Elonu eagerly awaiting the trip to Tokyo.

"Our team exudes confidence, passion and intensity," Elonu said. "It's just a matter of us stepping on the court in Tokyo. Our coach and the staff require intensity from the players and make us believe that we belong on any court with anyone. We also have a lot of pride in ourselves as players, so competing is our only option."

The Olympic basketball competition gets underway July 27.

"To finally accomplish qualification is a realization of something we felt was going to happen," Elonu added. "My feeling now is one of triumph and satisfaction, but also excitement to show more of 'us' to the world once again."