D’Tigress Lose to South Korea in Second Game of FIBA Women’s World Cup Qualifiers
Nigeria’s D’Tigress were defeated 77–60 by South Korea in their second game of the qualifying tournament for the 2026 FIBA Women’s World Cup.
The Rena Wakama-led side was outplayed by the Koreans on Thursday at the Astroballe Arena in France.
The loss ended D’Tigress’ unbeaten run since August 2024. Their previous defeat came against the United States in the quarter-final of the women’s basketball event at the 2024 Olympics.
Nigeria had begun the qualifiers strongly, thrashing Colombia by 33 points in their opening game on Wednesday. The team had already secured qualification for the World Cup after winning the Women’s Afrobasket in late 2025.
Although their participation in the qualifiers is largely aimed at improving ranking points, South Korea proved too strong for the Nigerian side.
South Korea led 20–16 at the end of the first quarter. Nigeria improved in the second quarter but still trailed as the Koreans maintained their advantage, going into halftime with a 36–32 lead.
The Asian side extended their lead further in the third quarter to 58–51 before pulling away in the final quarter to secure a comfortable 17-point victory.
D’Tigress remain one of five teams that have already secured automatic qualification for the World Cup. Germany qualified as hosts, while Belgium, the United States, and Australia earned their spots by winning their respective continental championships.
Nigeria will face the Philippines in their next match on Saturday.