File photo: D’Tigress
Elegbede Abiodun
Nigeria’s senior women’s basketball team, D’Tigress, opened their campaign at the FIBA Women’s Basketball World Cup Qualifying Tournament with a commanding 33-point victory over Colombia.
The News Agency of Nigeria reports that D’Tigress defeated Colombia 70–37 on Wednesday to secure their first win of the tournament, currently taking place in France.
Nigeria led 18–12 in the opening quarter with impressive displays, but Colombia responded strongly to edge the second quarter 17–16.
D’Tigress dominated the second half, outscoring Colombia 19–5 in the third quarter and 17–3 in the fourth to seal an emphatic victory.
The win marked Head Coach Rena Wakama’s 14th victory since her appointment in 2023.
Since taking charge, Wakama has overseen 18 competitive matches, winning 14 and losing four.
Her achievements include guiding Nigeria to the 2023 and 2025 FIBA Women’s Afrobasket championship titles.
D’Tigress currently rank eighth in the FIBA world rankings, reflecting consistent progress and strong performances in recent international competitions.
One of their most notable achievements remains reaching the quarter-finals of the FIBA Women’s Basketball World Cup.
Technically, the result again highlighted the growing gap between Nigeria and several emerging basketball nations.
Nigeria controlled the tempo, defended aggressively and converted transition opportunities efficiently throughout the game.
Victoria Macaulay led the scoring with 13 points, delivering the performance in 14 minutes and 20 seconds on the court.
Ifunaya Okoro also finished in double figures, contributing 10 points after playing 28 minutes and one second.
Nigeria will face South Korea in their next group match scheduled for Thursday. (NAN)
