Nigeria’s senior women’s basketball team, D’Tigress, have endured a mixed run so far at the ongoing 2026 FIBA Women’s Basketball World Cup Qualifying Tournament in Lyon, France.

Across their first four games at the qualifying event, the reigning African champions have recorded two wins and two defeats, with their last outing ending in a narrow 93–86 defeat to France. 

Their campaign began emphatically with a 70–37 demolition of Colombia, a game in which Nigeria’s defensive intensity quickly overwhelmed the South Americans. After taking an early 18–12 lead in the opening quarter, D’Tigress gradually tightened their grip on the contest. Colombia stayed within touching distance at halftime, trailing only 34–29, but the reigning African champions completely seized control after the break. Victoria Macaulay led the scoring with 13 points as Nigeria outscored their opponents 36–8 across the final two quarters, sealing a dominant 33-point victory.

The performance was a reminder of the qualities that have made D’Tigress the dominant force in African women’s basketball over the past decade. However, the momentum from that opening win did not entirely carry through the rest of the tournament. Nigeria suffered a 77-60 defeat to the South Korea women’s national basketball team in their second outing, recording their first loss since losing to the United States at the Paris 2024 Olympics. They returned to winning ways, 101-84 against the Philippines, with an attacking display that highlighted their ability to control the tempo and stretch defences through quick ball movement.

Their fourth outing — a meeting with the hosts, the France women’s national basketball team — offered perhaps the clearest snapshot yet of Nigeria’s potential and their current limitations.

France opened the game with authority, at one point stretching their advantage to as many as 20 points in the second quarter. The European side’s physical presence and perimeter shooting allowed them to dictate the pace early, forcing Nigeria into a difficult chase. But the D’Tigress remained resilient. After halftime, the Rena Wakama-led side produced one of their most impressive stretches of basketball at the tournament, outscoring the hosts 41–36 in the second half, gradually cutting into the deficit with improved defensive pressure and faster transition play.

Ultimately, however, the rally proved insufficient, as France held on to secure a 93–86 victory, handing Nigeria their second defeat of the qualifying tournament.

With two wins and two losses, placing them fourth in Group D of the qualifiers, Nigeria now head into their final game against the World Cup hosts, Germany, who sit second after three wins and one loss. 

Nigeria’s Hopes of Qualifying for FIBA 2026 World Cup

At a glance, it may appear that Nigeria’s qualification for the 2026 FIBA Women’s Basketball World Cup is in doubt. However, that’s not the case, as the team had already secured their spot at the World Cup months earlier by winning the 2025 edition of the FIBA Women’s AfroBasket. As continental champions, D’Tigress automatically claimed Africa’s guaranteed slot at the tournament. Nigeria are one of four nations that booked their World Cup places by winning their respective continental championships in 2025, alongside Belgium, the United States and Australia. The lineup is completed by Germany, who qualified automatically as hosts of the 2026 tournament.

Nigeria’s run in Lyon, therefore, serves a slightly different purpose from that of several other teams in the qualifying competition. Rather than fighting for a place at the World Cup, Nigeria are effectively using the tournament as a high-level preparation platform to test themselves against strong international opponents ahead of the global championship in Germany later this year.

Seen through that lens, Nigeria’s performances in Lyon become more about measuring their competitiveness on the world stage. At their best — as seen in the defensive dismantling of Colombia and the second-half surge against France — D’Tigress still show the traits that have elevated them into the top tier of international women’s basketball.

But the tournament has also revealed areas that may still require refinement before the World Cup later this year: consistency across four quarters, depth against physically dominant teams, and the ability to maintain offensive rhythm when chasing games.

With their current standing, the challenge for D’Tigress has moved beyond simply qualifying for global competitions; it’s more about how far they can truly go against the world’s elite teams. Under the guidance of head coach Rena Wakama, the foundations for that progress are increasingly evident. Added to this is a renewed sense of motivation within the squad, as the Federal Government of Nigeria has recently fulfilled the promises made to the players after they claimed their third consecutive title at the FIBA Women’s AfroBasket last August.

🚨BREAKING: Federal Government fulfills promises as D’Tigress receives documents of Houses and National Honours.

Presentation done in Lyon, France by NSC Chairman Mallam Shehu Dikko and Director General, Hon Bukola Olopade. pic.twitter.com/vWSUMLiPil

— MikeThePundit (@Mike_ThePundit) March 16, 2026