Nigeria’s D’Tigress came out of Tuesday’s draw in Berlin knowing exactly what September holds for them. Placed in Group B of the 2026 FIBA Women’s Basketball World Cup, they will face France, South Korea and Hungary when the tournament opens on September 4 at the Berlin Arena.

The competition will run from September 4 to 13 in Germany, where 16 nations have been split into four groups. Nigeria entered the draw from Pot 2, a reflection of their steady rise on the global scene, but that seeding did little to shield them from elite and an all too familiar opposition. Encounters with France and South Korea in recent cycles mean there is little mystery between the sides, only the challenge of execution on the day. Nigeria will take confidence from their status as reigning African champions, a title they have defended four consecutive times.

Group B!! pic.twitter.com/0U3enubRII

— DTigress (@DtigressNG) April 21, 2026

This will be Nigeria’s third appearance at the World Cup. Their first outing in 2006 ended at the group stage, but they returned in 2018 with a breakthrough performance that saw them reach the quarterfinals, marking a turning point for women’s basketball on the continent. They were absent from the 2022 edition following a government-imposed withdrawal from international competitions at the time, making their return in 2026 another significant moment for the team.

Preparation is already in motion as the technical crew looks to sharpen the squad ahead of the tournament. A training tour in the United States forms a key part of that build-up, with friendly games lined up against WNBA sides such as the Los Angeles Sparks and others. Head coach Rena Wakama has named a provisional squad to begin camp, while the backroom staff has been strengthened with the reported addition of a new assistant coach in Stanley Boateng.

If you’re around San Diego, CA, save the date 📌 pic.twitter.com/93NU28Au00

— DTigress (@DtigressNG) March 23, 2026

The qualifying tournament in Villeurbanne last month gave the wider world a recent look at where this squad stands. Nigeria went 2-3 in the group, beating the Philippines and Colombia while losing to Germany, France and South Korea. Those defeats will sting in memory, but they carried no consequence for the team’s World Cup participation. D’Tigress had already secured their place in Berlin by winning the 2025 Women’s AfroBasket title, which granted automatic qualification regardless of what happened in France. The qualifying tournament was, in effect, competitive preparation rather than a survival exercise, a chance to measure the squad against serious opponents at pace. Seen through that lens, losing to the eventual group winners, France and South Korea, a team they will meet again in the World Cup’s group stage, is at least useful intelligence.