- Nigeria’s senior women’s basketball team, D’Tigress, defeated Colombia 70–37 in their opening match of the FIBA Women’s World Cup Qualifying Tournament in France
- The African champions dominated the game from the first quarter and maintained control throughout
- The win marks Rena Wakama’s 14th competitive victory as D’Tigress head coach
Nigeria’s senior women’s basketball team, D’Tigress, opened their campaign at the FIBA Women’s Basketball World Cup Qualifying Tournament with a convincing 70–37 victory over Colombia women’s national basketball team on Wednesday, March 11.
The seven-time African champions delivered a commanding performance at the Astroballe arena, overpowering their opponents in both attack and defence as they continue preparations for the 2026 World Cup scheduled to take place in Berlin.
Coached by Rena Wakama, the Nigerian side wasted little time asserting their dominance.
D’Tigress established an early 18–12 lead at the end of the first quarter and steadily widened the gap with a composed and disciplined display.
By halftime, Nigeria had stretched the lead to 34–29 after maintaining pressure on both ends of the court. A powerful third-quarter run pushed the score to 53–34, effectively putting the game beyond Colombia’s reach.
The final quarter saw the African champions maintain their intensity to seal an emphatic 33-point victory.
Nicole Enabosi played a pivotal role in the win, dominating the boards with 11 rebounds while adding five assists and 10 points in the paint.
Top scoring honours went to Victoria Macaulay, who recorded 13 points and posted the highest efficiency rating of 19 in the game.
Pallas Kunaiyi-Akpanah also made her presence felt defensively with two blocks alongside several key rebounds.
Meanwhile, guard Ifunanya Okoro contributed two steals and capped her performance with a crucial layup in the closing minutes.
Colombia found it difficult to match Nigeria’s physical presence and pace throughout the contest.
Yuliany Paz stood out as Colombia’s most efficient player, finishing with seven efficiency points while also grabbing five rebounds and recording three blocks.
Mabel Martinez added six points, but the South American side struggled to maintain momentum after a competitive second quarter, eventually suffering a heavy defeat.
The victory marked Wakama’s 14th competitive win since taking charge of D’Tigress in July 2023.
Her record now stands at a 77 percent win rate from 18 competitive matches, with defeats coming against Belgium women’s national basketball team, France women’s national basketball team, and twice against the United States women’s national basketball team.
Nigeria will next face South Korea women’s national basketball team in their second game of the qualifying series on Thursday, March 12.
Although D’Tigress have already secured qualification for the 2026 FIBA Women’s Basketball World Cup after winning the FIBA Women’s AfroBasket title, the tournament offers an important opportunity for Wakama’s side to test their squad depth and tactical approach against global competition.
The five-game tournament, scheduled from March 11 to 17, will see the top two teams progress to join hosts Germany and Nigeria at the 2026 World Cup.
D’Tigress will be looking to build on their historic performance at the 2018 FIBA Women’s Basketball World Cup in Tenerife, where they became the first African team to advance from the group stage.
Wednesday’s dominant win over Colombia signals that Wakama’s team remains on track to extend its continental dominance while strengthening its credentials on the global stage.