Nigeria’s D’Tigress eliminated from FIBA Women’s Basketball World Cup

The Nigerian women’s national basketball team, known as D’Tigress, has been eliminated from the FIBA Women’s Basketball World Cup following two consecutive losses in Group B. The team opened the tournament with an 81-99 defeat against South Korea at the Berlin Arena, followed by a narrow 67-71 loss to Hungary.

With two losses, Nigeria’s hopes of reaching the knockout stages were officially ended after France defeated South Korea. This early exit marks a significant setback for the reigning African champions, who had previously reached the quarter-finals in the 2018 World Cup and the 2024 Paris Olympics.

The team’s performance has drawn attention to their preparation process. Head coach Rena Wakama joined the squad only four days before their opening match, having spent much of the pre-tournament period with the WNBA’s Chicago Sky. During the team’s tours of the United States, China, and Spain, assistant coach Wani Muganguzi led the squad in several exhibition games.