Nigeria’s women’s national basketball team, D’Tigress, produced a strong comeback performance to defeat the Philippines 101–84 in their third match of 2026 FIBA Women’s Basketball World Cup qualifying tournament.
Gatekeepers News reports that the game, played at the Astroballe arena in Lyon, France, saw the Nigerian side overturn an early deficit to secure a convincing 17-point victory. Rena Wakama’s team struggled in the opening stages as the Philippines took the first quarter 26–21 and extended their advantage to 51–42 by halftime.
However, the Nigerian team responded strongly in the third quarter, scoring 34 points to turn the game around and move into a 76–72 lead. They maintained the momentum in the final period, dominating the closing minutes to seal the 101–84 win.
The victory marked Nigeria’s second win in the tournament. The team had earlier opened their campaign with a comfortable win over Colombia before suffering a 77–60 defeat to South Korea in their second game.
Despite already securing qualification for the World Cup by winning the 2025 Women’s AfroBasket championship, the Nigerian side is participating in the qualifiers to improve ranking points and prepare for the global competition.
Nigeria will continue their campaign with another high-profile clash against France as they build momentum ahead of the World Cup tournament.
