Nigeria’s D’Tigress suffered a disappointing start to their 2026 FIBA Women’s Basketball World Cup campaign after losing 99–81 to South Korea in Berlin, Germany, on Friday.
The African champions battled throughout the first three quarters but were unable to contain South Korea’s late surge, as the Asian side pulled away in the final period to secure an 18-point victory.
South Korea made the brighter start, taking a 26–22 advantage after the opening quarter.
Nigeria responded in the second period and remained within striking distance, but the Koreans held onto their lead to enter halftime 48–45 ahead.
The contest remained competitive after the break. D’Tigress continued to apply pressure and stayed close to their opponents, but South Korea maintained control and extended its advantage to 68–62 by the end of the third quarter.
The decisive moment came in the final 10 minutes.
South Korea stepped up its offensive production and took advantage of Nigeria’s mistakes to create a much wider gap, eventually closing out the game 99–81.
Okonkwo Leads Nigeria’s Scoring
Amy Okonkwo was Nigeria’s standout scorer, finishing with 22 points, seven rebounds and three assists.
Murjanatu Musa also produced an impressive individual performance, recording 13 points and 12 rebounds.
Ezinne Kalu contributed 11 points and five assists, while Victoria Macaulay added 10 points from the bench.
Despite those contributions, Nigeria struggled to match South Korea’s offensive efficiency and paid the price for crucial turnovers.
South Korea’s Jihyun Park led all scorers with 27 points.
Hungary Next for D’Tigress
The defeat means Nigeria must quickly regroup with little time to dwell on the result.
Rena Wakama’s team will face Hungary in its second Group B match on Saturday.
Nigeria entered the tournament as reigning African champions after winning the 2025 FIBA Women’s AfroBasket title. The team is also seeking to build on its historic quarter-final appearance at the 2024 Paris Olympics.
D’Tigress will need a victory against Hungary to strengthen their chances of progressing from a group that also includes France and South Korea.
The Nigerian team’s final group-stage match will be against France on Monday.
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Nigeria’s D’Tigress suffered an 81–99 defeat to South Korea in their opening 2026 FIBA Women’s Basketball World Cup match in Berlin.
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