Nigeria’s senior women’s basketball team, D’Tigress, narrowly lost 93–86 to host France women’s national basketball team in Lyon during their fourth match at the FIBA Women’s World Cup Qualifying Tournament.
Trailing by as many as 20 points in the second quarter, D’Tigress mounted a strong comeback in the second half, outscoring France 41–36. Despite edging the final period 21–20, France set the tone early, dominating offensively and exploiting Nigerian defensive lapses to take the first quarter 29–21. They extended their lead to 28–24 in the second quarter, carrying a 57–45 advantage into halftime, with the score stretching to a 20-point margin at one stage.
D’Tigress responded after the break, tightening their defence and finding improved rhythm in attack to claim the third quarter 21–15.
Coach Rena Wakama lauded the team’s effort, while Nigeria continued to push in the final frame but could not overturn the deficit. She identified “just two days of preparation” as the main issue her team is having at the current FIBA Women’s World Cup qualifying event in France.
“Of all the teams here, we only had two days of preparation before playing. Some of my players are not in season right now, so it takes time to regain rhythm and reconnect with teammates”, she noted.
“Those teams are hard to defend when they’re driving past you and knocking down threes. Credit to my team for sticking with it. Leadership shouldn’t always come from the coaches; it has to come from within.”
Several players stood out for the Nigerian team. Amy Okonkwo led with 16 points, efficiently converting six of eight field-goal attempts. Murjanatu Musa and Elizabeth Balogun combined for 30 points, providing crucial scoring support. Victoria Macaulay added 10 points before limping off in the fourth quarter, raising concerns about her fitness ahead of upcoming games.
This outcome comes after a convincing 101-84 victory over the Philippines, as D’Tigress recovered from a 77-60 loss to South Korea by overcoming a halftime deficit with a dominant second-half performance. Nigeria’s last game is against Germany as the Lyon qualifications draw to a close. Coach Wakama is working to improve the team in preparation for the 2026 FIBA Women’s World Cup in Berlin.
Nigeria’s qualifying for the World Cup has already been ensured after winning an unprecedented fifth consecutive AfroBasket title in 2025, making the qualifiers an important means of preparing against elite opposition.
