D’Tigress Stage Comeback to Rout Philippines 101–84 at World Cup Qualifiers
Nigeria’s D’Tigress mounted an impressive comeback to defeat the Philippines 101–84 in their third game of the qualifying tournament for the 2026 FIBA Women’s World Cup.
Playing at the Astroballe Arena in France on Saturday, the team, coached by Rena Wakama, showed remarkable resilience after a slow start. The Philippines edged the first quarter 26–21 and extended their advantage to 51–42 by halftime.
D’Tigress, however, turned the game around in the third quarter, exploding for 34 points to take a 76–72 lead. They carried that momentum into the final period, outscoring their opponents and sealing a dominant 17-point victory.
The win follows a mixed run for Nigeria in the tournament. The team opened the qualifiers with a commanding 33-point victory over Colombia on Wednesday but fell 77–60 to South Korea in their second match.
Despite already securing a place at the World Cup after winning the 2025 Women’s Afrobasket, the Nigerian side is using the qualifiers to gain valuable preparation and improve their global ranking.
D’Tigress are one of five teams that have earned automatic qualification for the tournament. Germany qualified as hosts, while Belgium, the United States, and Australia secured their spots by winning their respective continental championships.
Nigeria will face France in their next game on Sunday.