Nigeria’s female basketball team, D’Tigress clinched their fourth consecutive FIBA Women’s AfroBasket championship, triumphing over rivals Senegal with an 84-74 victory in the final showdown held in Kigali. Having navigated through obstacles posed by Congo DR, Egypt, Mozambique, and Rwanda, D’Tigress ultimately squared off against the 12-time champions, Senegal, in the championship match.
Ifunaya Okoro scored 16 points, Amy Okonkwo scored 14 points, eight rebounds and two assists, and Murjanatu Musa finished with ten points and 12 rebounds for D’Tigress.
D’Tigress coach Rena Wakama became the first woman to lead a team to victory in the AfroBasket, making history as a result. The Nigerians won their sixth overall title and fourth in a row, in Rwanda.
Following Wakama’s appointment as head coach, the NBBF organized open tryouts for the women’s team in Chicago, Lagos, and Abuja. These sessions aimed to discover fresh talent for the team’s participation in the upcoming 2023 Women’s Afrobasket tournament. However, this decision faced strong criticism from certain established D’Tigress players, leading to their refusal to participate and even retirement announcements from a couple of them.
Consequently, a number of prominent players, including Adaora Elonu, who captained the team to victory in the 2021 Afrobasket, Promise Amukamara, Ezinne Kalu, Victoria Macaulay, and Ify Ibekwe, were adversely affected and didn’t make the final roster. Notably, Oderah Chidom and Nicole Enabosi, who were part of the 2021 competition, also didn’t secure a spot on the list.
After securing victory against the Democratic Republic of Congo in their initial match, Nigeria advanced from the group by decisively defeating Egypt. Subsequently, they triumphed over Mozambique in the quarter-finals and dominated Rwanda in the semi-finals.
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