On the finish of the FIBA World Cup Qualifying collection, Nigeria’s file was 2-3, with wins in opposition to Colombia and Philippines and shedding to Korea, France and Germany.
A shedding file on the face of it, however past the plain file, D’Tigress outcomes — in opposition to two European heavyweights — was a sign of how a lot enchancment the workforce have and proceed to make.
Nigeria completed the qualifying event beating Colombia 70-37 and the Philippines 101-84 earlier than falling to South Korea 60-77, France 86-93, and Germany 73-81.
D’Tigress had already secured their place on the 2026 FIBA Girls’s Basketball World Cup in Berlin by profitable the 2025 Girls’s AfroBasket, their fifth consecutive continental championship and seventh total.
However they had been nonetheless required to take part within the qualifying collection, as had been the opposite continental champions.
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Their 7-point loss to France was particularly vital, mentioned D’Tigress middle Pallas Kunaiyi-Akpanah on her social media: “One thing about shedding to France truly made me really feel higher.
“At first that sounds loopy as a result of when the sport ended I used to be truly fairly upset. However right this moment I noticed a put up evaluating the sport we had simply misplaced in opposition to France to the final time we performed in opposition to France on the Paris Olympics. And the distinction within the rating made me cease for a second.”
That distinction was effectively price noting. On the Paris 2024 Olympics, Nigeria misplaced to France by 21 factors. On the Tokyo 2021 Olympics, the margin was 25.
Now, on the FIBA Girls’s Basketball World Cup 2026 Qualifying Match in Villeurbanne, it was seven, in opposition to a French workforce ranked third on this planet, enjoying on dwelling soil, in entrance of a crowd that had come particularly to cheer them previous Nigeria.
“A loss continues to be a loss, however 21 factors is a niche that’s actually exhausting to shut,” Kunaiyi-Akpanah wrote. “Nonetheless, seven factors means you might be proper there.”
The identical arc runs by way of Nigeria’s historical past in opposition to the USA. In a pre-Tokyo 2021 exhibition, the People gained by 31. Within the Tokyo group stage, by 9. On the Paris 2024 quarterfinals, the primary Olympic quarterfinal an African girls’s workforce has ever reached, the margin was 14.
Though that was double the earlier, there was some context. It was an Olympic quarterfinal and was Nigeria’s best displaying in opposition to the USA.
All of those numbers, taken collectively, might describe a workforce shedding, however in addition they describe a workforce closing the hole, and quickly.
“When you concentrate on how nationwide groups truly work, that distinction says so much,” mentioned Kunaiyi-Akpanah. “We barely get time to arrange for tournaments like this.
“Everyone seems to be arriving from seasons, completely different golf equipment, completely different methods. We do not get months to construct chemistry. So seeing that distinction, did not simply really feel like a loss, it felt like progress. Like, okay, we’re getting nearer.”
For Nigeria, who’ve valuable little alternatives to assemble and play video games, the week in Villeurbanne was a uncommon however welcome alternative to get these video games in and measure progress in opposition to a number of the greatest on this planet.
“We had been already certified for the World Cup, however this event was about displaying up, competing and rising as a workforce,” Kunaiyi-Akpanah wrote.
“Let’s take a second to rejoice, then return to work.”
Nigeria’s Amy Okonkwo cheers on her workforce on the FIBA World Cup qualifiers in France in mid-March. Armand Lenoir/FIBA through Getty Pictures
The France recreation was the sharpest measure of all. Taking part in in entrance of a French dwelling crowd, D’Tigress trailed by as many as 20 factors within the second quarter earlier than mounting a livid second-half comeback.
They outscored the hosts 41-36 over the ultimate two quarters, slicing the deficit to simply two factors with 1 / 4 to play, earlier than France steadied themselves and held on to win 93-86.
France guard Valeriane Ayayi acknowledged afterward that Nigeria had pushed her workforce tougher than anybody within the event.
“That recreation, in opposition to Nigeria, was the hardest recreation till now,” Ayayi mentioned. “We had been anticipating this. I really feel like we had been shocked within the first half to be plus-20, then the second half the way in which they performed. That was a superb take a look at for us, a unique form of basketball. It is robust however we answered effectively.”
France coach Jean-Aime Toupane was simply as complimentary of Rena Wakama’s workforce: “You must give a whole lot of credit score to the Nigerian workforce.
“It is a actually good workforce, five-time African championship. I used to be anticipating a really troublesome recreation. This recreation confirmed us that we obtained to remain centered. You want these troublesome moments. If you do not have them you are feeling like every little thing is simple on a regular basis.”
Guard Amy Okonkwo, who led Nigeria in opposition to France with 16 factors on six-of-eight capturing, admitted that the house crowd was an element however that D’Tigress have discovered to play by way of it.
“It is not our first time enjoying France and in entrance of the French dwelling crowd,” Okonkwo mentioned. “We performed them earlier than on the Olympics so we’re used to the group.
“After all it’s a dwelling atmosphere for them, however as a workforce we all know what is predicted of us in these moments. We all know find out how to tune out the group and maintain combating and deal with one another and never what is occurring round us.”
Okonkwo says the event confirmed that the Nigerian workforce can be prepared for the World Cup: “One factor about this group is that no matter what’s going on, we’re nonetheless going to indicate up and put together.
“We nonetheless go into each recreation the identical approach, scout the identical approach, put together the identical approach. We all know we nonetheless have far more within the tank than what we confirmed.”
Nigeria’sVictoria Macaulay was named to the All-Star 5 for the FIBA qualifiers. Armand Lenoir/FIBA through Getty Pictures
Nigeria’s progress turns into even clearer when set in opposition to the remainder of the African area. The 2026 qualifying event featured three different African girls’s packages: Mali, Senegal and South Sudan.
Mali, ranked 18th globally, misplaced to Belgium by 31 factors. Senegal, ranked twenty fifth, had been routed by the USA 110-46 in San Juan, a 64-point crushing that left no ambiguity. South Sudan went winless throughout 5 video games.
Nigeria, in contrast, misplaced to the world’s third-ranked workforce by seven, pushed Germany to eight and stays ranked eighth globally. No different African girls’s program is closing the hole in opposition to top-five opposition at something near the speed D’Tigress are.
The person recognition mirrored it as effectively. Ahead Victoria Macaulay was named to the event’s All-Star 5, becoming a member of France’s Janelle Salaun, who was named Most Useful Participant, France’s Marine Johannes, Germany’s Frieda Buhner and South Korea’s Leeseul Kang.
Macaulay averaged 13.6 factors, 6.0 rebounds and a pair of.4 assists throughout 5 video games, ending with a 16.4 effectivity score.
FIBA’s official quotation famous that she “used her know-how and power within the paint and completed as a pacesetter for the African champions in effectivity and scoring.”
Macaulay, 35, had been named MVP of Nigeria’s opening win over Colombia and scored 22 factors in opposition to South Korea. Even within the slim losses to France and Germany, she was Nigeria’s most reliable anchor.
Head coach Rena Wakama, who has gone 14-4 since taking cost in 2023 and led Nigeria to consecutive AfroBasket titles in 2023 and 2025, was happy in regards to the displaying and the battle from her workforce.
“I’m tremendous pleased with the battle,” Wakama mentioned. “It has been a tough three video games. I’m tremendous pleased with my workforce. We are going to be taught and develop from this.
“If we wish to proceed to be one of many prime groups on this planet, we have now to have the ability to capitalize on these video games and these alternatives and these large moments.”
The coach additionally pointed to self-belief as a key ingredient for the workforce going ahead and into the World Cup.
“Having religion. If nobody else believes in us, I consider in us,” Wakama mentioned. “We must always all have that perception within the locker room, that is all that issues.
“I’ve a veteran group. All of my gamers are execs and to be a professional, you recognize when it is time to present up and you recognize when it is time to tighten up.”
The 2026 FIBA Girls’s Basketball World Cup suggestions off September 4 on the Max-Schmeling-Halle in Berlin, Germany.