Nigeria’s women’s national basketball team, D’Tigress, suffered a 77–60 loss to South Korea in their second outing at the qualifying tournament for the 2026 FIBA Women’s Basketball World Cup in Lyon, France. The game was played on Thursday at the Astroballe Arena, ending Nigeria’s unbeaten run that had stretched back to their quarter-final defeat to the United States at the 2024 Summer Olympics. Head coach Rena Wakama stuck with the same starting five that secured victory over Colombia in their opening game. Amy Okonkwo, Elizabeth Balogun, Promise Amukamara, Murjanatu Musa and Ezinne Kalu all started, but Nigeria found it difficult to cope with South Korea’s impressive shooting from long range. South Korea set the tone early, knocking down several three-pointers to claim a 20–16 lead at the end of the first quarter. The second quarter was evenly contested, with both teams scoring 16 points, allowing the Koreans to maintain a 36–32 advantage heading into halftime. Victoria Macaulay led Nigeria’s offence in the first half, contributing 15 of the team’s 32 points before the break. Okonkwo and Kalu added three points each as D’Tigress remained within striking distance. South Korea widened the gap in the third quarter after outscoring Nigeria 22–19, taking a 58–51 lead into the final quarter. Nigeria’s hopes of mounting a comeback faded in the closing period as their attack struggled, producing only nine points while the Koreans continued to capitalise on defensive lapses. Macaulay finished as Nigeria’s top performer with 22 points and six rebounds in 26 minutes, shooting 8-of-13 from the field and converting all three of her attempts from beyond the arc. Murjanatu Musa also chipped in with 10 points and three rebounds. South Korea’s accuracy from distance proved decisive, as they sank 11 three-pointers and recorded 29 assists through effective ball movement. Jihyun Park led their scoring with 22 points, six rebounds and four assists, while Leeseul Kang added 20 points, including five shots from beyond the arc. Although Nigeria won the rebounding battle 39–31, the team committed 18 turnovers and struggled to contain South Korea’s perimeter threat. D’Tigress had already secured their place at the 2026 FIBA Women’s Basketball World Cup after winning the 2025 FIBA Women’s AfroBasket, meaning the qualifying tournament mainly serves as an opportunity to boost their global ranking. Reacting to the result, promoter of the Mark D’ Ball Basketball Championship, Mark Igoche, urged the team to remain positive. “Don’t let this one setback bring you down. As I always say, ‘Champions aren’t made in the wins, they’re made in the losses.’ You’ve got this! You’ve shown your strength against Colombia, and now it’s time to regroup and refocus.” “Fall down 7 times, stand up 8. Let’s use this as fuel to propel us forward… The greatest glory in living lies not in never falling, but in rising every time we fall. Let’s rise, D’Tigress!” Nigeria will aim to bounce back when they face the Philippines on March 14 in their next game of the tournament.
