D’Tigress set sights on Spain after beating China

Nigeria’s senior women’s basketball team, D’Tigress, are now focused on Spain. This comes after they wrapped up their three-game tour of China with a solid 88-77 win over the hosts in Foshan on Wednesday.

This victory gave the reigning African champions a much-needed boost as they prepare for the 2026 FIBA Women’s Basketball World Cup in Berlin.

Elizabeth Balogun was the star of the match, scoring 26 points. Grace Efosa also contributed with 19 points. D’Tigress bounced back strongly after losing the first two games in the series, which ended 70-67 and 69-65.

The final win was also a good chance for head coach Rena Wakama to evaluate her players against tough competition ahead of the World Cup.

Before traveling to China, Nigeria had already played a series of games in the United States. They faced WNBA teams like Los Angeles Sparks, Minnesota Lynx, and Indiana Fever from 29 July to 2 August.

Now that the China tour is over, D’Tigress will move on to Tenerife. They will continue their preparations against more strong teams.

Spain’s national team has announced a triangular tournament in Tenerife. This tournament will include Nigeria and Belgium from 21 to 23 August.

These games will give Coach Wakama another chance to work on player rotations, offensive strategies, defensive setups, and overall team chemistry before the World Cup.

D’Tigress are one of Africa’s representatives at the tournament in Berlin. They earned their spot by winning the FIBA Women’s AfroBasket title in 2025.

Nigeria is currently ranked eighth in the world. They have been placed in Group B along with France, South Korea, and Hungary.

D’Tigress will kick off their campaign against South Korea on 4 September. They will then play Hungary the next day and finish the group stage against France on 7 September.

For Coach Wakama and her players, the win against China brings hope, but the journey ahead is still tough.