D’Tigress knocked out of FIBA Women’s Basketball World Cup hopes after suffering two straight defeats in Group B. Nigeria opened the tournament with a 99-81 loss to South Korea at Berlin Arena on Friday.
The African champions fought hard, but South Korea controlled the contest and pulled away during the final quarter. D’Tigress then faced Hungary on Saturday, knowing another defeat would damage their qualification hopes.
Hungary secured a narrow 71-67 victory after Nigeria failed to complete a late comeback. The result left Nigeria without a win from two Group B matches and placed them at the bottom.
France later defeated South Korea 95-69, officially ending Nigeria’s hopes of reaching the knockout stages. D’Tigress became the first team eliminated from the 2026 tournament before completing their group campaign.
The early exit marks a major setback for Nigeria’s reigning African champions, who entered with strong expectations. Nigeria had returned to the global stage after missing the 2022 FIBA Women’s Basketball World Cup.
Their previous World Cup appearance came in 2018, when they reached the quarter-finals and finished eighth. D’Tigress also made history at the Paris 2024 Olympics by reaching the quarter-finals.
This year’s tournament has ended their hopes of another historic run on the world stage. The elimination also ends Nigeria’s run of reaching at least the quarter-finals since 2006.
For D’Tigress, the focus now shifts toward rebuilding before future international competitions. Coach Rena Wakama’s squad showed quality but struggled to produce consistent results during crucial moments. Despite the disappointment, Nigeria remains one of Africa’s strongest women’s basketball nations.
D’Tigress will still face France in their final Group B fixture, although victory cannot revive their knockout hopes. The final game offers Nigeria an opportunity to finish strongly and restore some pride.
D’Tigress knocked out of FIBA competition now face an important period of reflection after an early World Cup exit.
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