D’Tigress Starts Training in France for W’Cup Qualifiers

D’Tigress, Nigeria's senior women's basketball team, has begun training in France ahead of the FIBA Women’s Basketball World Cup qualifiers scheduled from March 11 to 17, 2026. The team arrived in Villeurbanne, Lyon on Monday, sharing their first training session via social media.

Head coach Rena Wakama, who recently concluded her duties with Hive Basketball Club, is leading a squad of 12 players, including notable members such as team captain Ami Okonkwo and guard Ezinn Kalu. Nigeria has already secured qualification for the FIBA Women’s Basketball World Cup 2026 in Berlin, following their victory in the Women’s AfroBasket 2025 qualifiers.

The team will open their campaign against Colombia on March 11, followed by matches against South Korea, the Philippines, host France, and Germany. D’Tigress aims to maintain their strong international ranking and build on their historic performance in the 2018 World Cup, where they became the first African team to progress to the group stage.