Nigeria’s senior women’s basketball team, D’Tigress, suffered a narrow 93–86 defeat to France in their fourth game at the FIBA Women’s World Cup Qualifying Tournament in Lyon.
Despite trailing by as many as 20 points in the second quarter, the African champions mounted a spirited comeback in the second half, outscoring the hosts 41–36, but the rally ultimately fell short.
The result means Nigeria have now recorded two defeats in four games at the qualifying tournament, following an earlier loss to South Korea and victories over Colombia and the Philippines.
France dominate early
France began the contest with strong offensive intensity, taking the first quarter 29–21 and capitalising on Nigerian defensive lapses.
The hosts maintained their momentum in the second quarter, winning it 28–24 to extend their advantage and head into halftime with a 57–45 lead.
At one point in the second quarter, France stretched their lead to 20 points, putting Nigeria under significant pressure.
Nigeria’s second-half fightback
D’Tigress responded strongly after the break.
Coach Rena Wakama’s side tightened their defence and found improved rhythm in attack to claim the third quarter 21–15, gradually cutting into the deficit.
The Nigerian team continued to push in the final quarter, edging the period 20–21, but France managed the closing stages effectively to secure the seven-point victory.
Although the comeback fell short, Nigeria’s performance in the second half reflected the team’s resilience and fighting spirit.
Individual performances
Several Nigerian players delivered notable performances in the closely contested encounter.
Amy Okonkwo led the scoring effort with an efficient 16 points, converting six of her eight field-goal attempts.
The duo of Murjanatu Musa and Elizabeth Balogun combined for 30 points, providing important offensive contributions throughout the game.
Victoria Macaulay also impressed with 10 points before limping off in the fourth quarter, raising concerns about her fitness ahead of the team’s next fixture.
Building on recent momentum
The match came shortly after Nigeria produced a strong performance to defeat the Philippines 101–84, bouncing back from their earlier 77–60 defeat to South Korea.
In that victory, D’Tigress delivered a dominant second-half display to overturn a halftime deficit and secure their second win of the tournament.
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The narrow defeat to France, however, showed the level of competition at the event, particularly against one of Europe’s top basketball nations.
Eyes on the next challenge
Nigeria will now turn their attention to their final game of the qualifiers against Germany, as Coach Wakama continues to fine-tune the team ahead of the global tournament.
Although results in Lyon remain competitive, Nigeria have already secured qualification for the 2026 FIBA Women’s World Cup after winning a historic fifth consecutive AfroBasket title in 2025.
The qualifying tournament, therefore, provides valuable preparation for the World Cup scheduled to take place later this year in Berlin, Germany.