D’Tigress Narrowly Loses to France in World Cup Qualifiers

D’Tigress, the reigning African basketball champions, experienced a close loss to France, with a final score of 93-86 during the FIBA Women’s World Cup qualifiers held at the Astrobal Arena in Villeurbanne, Lyon, on Sunday, March 15. Despite the defeat, the Nigerian team demonstrated significant grit and confidence, particularly in the third quarter where they managed to reduce the deficit to six points.

Coach Rena Wakama's squad had previously opened their campaign with a commanding 70-37 victory over Colombia, followed by a 77-60 loss to South Korea. They bounced back emphatically with a 101-84 win against the Philippines, marking the first time D’Tigress surpassed the 100-point mark in the tournament.

Currently ranked 8th in the world, D’Tigress holds a record of two wins and one loss in the tournament and is set to face Germany in their final group match on Tuesday, March 17.