Nigeria’s women’s national basketball team, D’Tigress, launched their 2026 FIBA Women’s Basketball World Cup Qualifying Tournament campaign with a commanding 70-37 demolition of Colombia at the Astroballe Arena in Villeurbanne, Lyon, France on Wednesday.
The African champions controlled the game from the outset, taking the opening quarter 18-12 before Colombia edged a competitive second quarter 17-16 to trim the deficit to five points at halftime. D’Tigress then dismantled Colombia in the second half, outscoring them 19-5 in the third quarter and 17-3 in the fourth to seal a 33-point victory.
Colombia managed just eight points across the entire second half, a testament to Nigeria’s suffocating defensive discipline throughout the contest.
Victoria Macaulay led the scoring with 13 points and six rebounds in just over 14 minutes off the bench, shooting five of six from the field. Nicole Enabosi recorded a double-double of 10 points and 11 rebounds, while Ifunaya Okoro added 10 points and finished with a plus-29 efficiency rating across 28 minutes.
A decisive 16-0 scoring run bridging the second and third quarters proved the turning point, as Nigeria stretched a narrow 30-29 lead into a commanding 46-29 advantage that Colombia never threatened to overturn.
The result represents Nigeria’s largest winning margin against a non-African opponent and marks the first ever competitive meeting between the two nations in women’s basketball.
Nigeria have already secured automatic qualification for the 2026 FIBA Women’s Basketball World Cup in Berlin, Germany, scheduled for September 4 to 13, having won the Women’s AfroBasket 2025 title. The qualifying tournament serves as preparation against elite global opposition ahead of that event.
Head coach Rena Wakama, speaking ahead of the tournament, said the competition gives the team a chance to measure themselves against some of the best sides in the world. She is now 14 wins from 18 competitive matches since taking charge of the team in 2023.
D’Tigress, currently ranked eighth in the world by FIBA, face South Korea in their next group fixture on Thursday.
