South Korea Hands D’Tigress Defeat in FIBA World Cup Opening Fixture

Nigeria's national women's basketball team, D'Tigress, commenced their journey in the 2026 FIBA Women’s Basketball World Cup with an 18-point loss. The African champions were defeated 99-81 by South Korea in Berlin on Friday, September 4th, marking a challenging start to their tournament campaign.

Despite remaining competitive through the initial three quarters, the Nigerian side couldn't maintain their momentum in the decisive final period. South Korea established an early lead, concluding the first quarter with a 26-22 advantage. D’Tigress mounted a comeback in the second quarter, narrowing the gap to just three points, with the halftime score standing at 48-45 in favour of the Koreans.

The Koreans sustained their lead into the third quarter, heading into the final period with a 68-62 score. This left D’Tigress trailing by a mere six points as the fourth quarter began. However, South Korea asserted dominance in the closing stages, outscoring Nigeria 31-19 to seal their comfortable 18-point victory.

Individually, Jihyun Park of South Korea delivered a stellar performance, topping all scorers with 27 points. Her teammate Leeseul Kang was particularly effective from beyond the arc, sinking six three-pointers. Overall, South Korea converted 11 of their 28 attempts from three-point range, demonstrating strong perimeter accuracy.

For D’Tigress, captain Amy Okonkwo led her team in scoring with 20 points, while Murjanatu Musa grabbed a game-high 13 rebounds. However, Nigeria struggled with ball control, committing 23 turnovers, more than double South Korea's 10. This, coupled with the Koreans’ disciplined ball movement and efficient perimeter shooting, proved to be decisive factors that prevented D’Tigress from mounting a successful comeback.

Coach Rena Wakama will now shift her focus to the team’s upcoming Group B match against Hungary, scheduled for Saturday at 1:15 pm, as D’Tigress aims for their first win. Nigeria secured their spot in the World Cup by clinching the 2025 Women’s AfroBasket title and is placed in Group B alongside France, South Korea, and Hungary. The 2026 FIBA Women’s Basketball World Cup is hosted in Berlin and is set to conclude on September 13th.

D’Tigress's best previous performance at the competition was reaching the quarter-finals in 2018, when the tournament was held in Tenerife, Spain.