Nigeria women's national basketball team

The Nigeria women's national basketball team, also known as the D'Tigress, represents Nigeria in international women's basketball competition, and are regulated by the Nigeria Basketball Federation, the governing body for basketball in Nigeria. Nigeria has one of the most successful women's national teams on the African Continent, being the current African champions. They have won the Women's Afrobasket Championship consecutively for four times in a row and six times in total.[2] They won in 2017 at Bamako, Mali, 2019 at Dakar, Senegal, 2021 at Yaounde, Cameroun, and 2023 at Kigali, Rwanda.[3]

For the men's team, see Nigeria men's national basketball team.

Nigeria
FIBA ranking12 1 (15 February 2024)[1]
Joined FIBA1964
FIBA zoneFIBA Africa
National federationNigerian Basketball Federation
CoachRena Wakama
Nickname(s)D'Tigress
Olympic Games
Appearances3
World Cup
Appearances2
MedalsQuarter-finals (2018)
AfroBasket
Appearances15
Medals (2003, 2005, 2017, 2019, 2021, 2023)
(1997, 2015)
All Africa Games
Appearances8
Medals Gold: (2003)
Silver: (2007, 2015)
Bronze: (1978, 1999, 2011)
Home
Away

History

2004 Summer Olympics

The Nigerians competed at the 2004 Summer Olympics in basketball, one of ten events their national teams qualified for. The Nigerian women's basketball team was one of the twelve teams competing in the event. They earned their berth through a zone qualifying tournament and played in Group A along with Australia, Brazil, Greece, Japan, and Russia.[4] The team went 0–5 in the preliminary round. In the 11/12th place game, they defeated the Korea for a final finish of 11th out of 12 teams.[5] With this win, they became the first women's African basketball team to win a game at the Olympics.[6]

Mfon Udoka was the team's leading scorer and the tournament's second highest scorer. Team athletes Itoro Umoh-Coleman and Joanne Aluka both played high school basketball at Hephzibah High School prior to playing together for Nigeria.[7]

2006 FIBA World Championship for Women

Nigeria qualified for the 2006 FIBA World Championship by winning the 2005 FIBA Africa Championship for Women.[8] They were placed into Group C with China, Russia, and the United States. Nigeria did not qualify for a pass into the second round and were defeated in the 15/16th place game by fellow African representatives Senegal by a score of 66–64. Their tournament record was 0–5.

Nigeria also participated in the 2006 Commonwealth Games held in Melbourne, Australia.

Team in 2007

The team attended the FIBA Africa Championship for Women 2007; the qualifying event for African teams attempting to make the 2008 Summer Olympics. Nigeria made it to the quarterfinals of the 2007 FIBA African Championship before losing to Mozambique 69–61. They won fifth place by defeating Cameroon 63–50. The team did not qualify for the Beijing Olympic Games.

The Nigerian squad went undefeated in group play during the 2007 All-Africa Games. They went on to the semi-finals and lost to Mozambique 57–46.

2009 Nations Cup

Nigeria has qualified for the 2009 Africa Cup of Nations (basketball) to be held in Libya.[9]

Competitive record

AfroBasket Women
AfroBasket record
Year Round Position GP W L GS GA GD
1966 did not enter
1968
1970
1974Group stage5th532278245+33
1977 did not enter
1979
1981Group stage7th413215280−65
1983 did not enter
1984
1986
1990
1993
1994
1997Semi-finals3rd 6 4 2 398310+88
2000 did not enter
2003Champions1st651386328+58
2005Champions1st523454293+161
2007Quarter-finals5th862516448+68
2009Quarter-finals5th844441440+1
2011Semi-finals4th844511502+9
2013Quarter-finals6th835411429−18
2015Semi-final3rd862608477+131
2017Champions1st880645413 +232
2019Champions1st550399243+156
2021Champions1st550367292+75
2023Champions1st550374274+100
2025 Qualified
Total15/296 titles89612860034974+873

Team honours and achievements

Intercontinental

Continental

Team

Current roster

Roster for the 2023 Women's Afrobasket.[11][12][13]

Nigeria national basketball team roster
PlayersCoaches
Pos.No.NameAge – Date of birthHeightClubCtr.
F 0 Amy Okonkwo 26 – (1996-08-26)26 August 1996 1.88 m (6 ft 2 in) Maccabi Haifa
1 Alimat Abiola 24 – (1998-11-26)26 November 1998
C 3 Pallas Kunaiyi-Akpannah 26 – (1997-07-12)12 July 1997 1.88 m (6 ft 2 in) Faenza Basket Project
G 5 Elizabeth Balogun 22 – (2000-09-09)9 September 2000 1.85 m (6 ft 1 in) Duke Blue Devils
SG 7 Sarah Ogoke 33 – (1990-06-25)25 June 1990 1.77 m (5 ft 10 in) Ferroviário de Maputo
G 9 Ifunanya Okoro 24 – (1999-07-06)6 July 1999 1.83 m (6 ft 0 in) Tindastóll women's basketball
F 11 Nicole Enabosi 26 – (1997-03-26)26 March 1997 1.83 m (6 ft 0 in) C' Chartres Basket Féminin
14 Adenike Olawuyi 19 – (2004-02-08)8 February 2004
F 20 Murjanatu Musa 23 – (2000-05-05)5 May 2000 1.87 m (6 ft 2 in) Celta de Vigo
22 Blessing Ejiofor 24 – (1998-09-02)2 September 1998 COB Calais
23 Olaoluwatomi Taiwo 23 – (2000-06-16)16 June 2000
25 Adebola Adeyeye 23 – (1999-10-11)11 October 1999
Head coach
Assistant coach(es)
  • Juliana Negedu
  • Samson Sotuminu
Legend
  • Club – describes last
    club before the tournament
  • Age – describes age
    on 28 July 2023

Former players and coaches

This is a list of former players and coaches, as well as current players who have played on past squads, with their years on the team indicated by the Nigerian flag beneath a given year.[14][15][16]

NameNumberPositionNationality2004*20052006200720082009
Olawunmi Adebayo9
Tayeloly Adeniyi10
Mobolaji Akiode6GuardNigeria
Joanne Aluka5ForwardUnited States
Mactabene Amachree13GuardNigeriaAs a player from 1994 to 2009 as an Executive 2017 to 2021
Parricia Chukwuma12
Kevin CookCoach
Adenike Dawodu11
Nguveren Iyorhe10Guard
Ezinne James15
Aisha Mohammed9Guard
Juliana Ojoshogu Negedu7Guard
Scott NnajiCoach
Chineze Nwagbo8
Linda Ogugua15CenterNigeria
Morolake Ogunoye5
Ugo Oha8CenterUnited States
Ugochuckwu Oha15
Funmilayo Ojelabi-Ogunleye10
Mercy Okorie7
Adeola Olanrewaju14
Taiwo Rafiu14Center
Rashidat Sadiq12Forward
Sam Vincent (basketball)Coach
Itoro Umoh-Coleman4GuardUnited States
Tamunomiete Whyte5

*Olympic games attended by the squad indicated in this year.

See also

References
  1. "FIBA Ranking Presented by Nike". FIBA. 15 February 2024. Retrieved 15 February 2024.
  2. "Nigeria are the winners of FIBA Women's AfroBasket 2021". FIBA.basketball. Retrieved 1 October 2021.
  3. "D'Tigress stun Mali to claim historic 3rd consecutive Afrobasket title". TheCable. 26 September 2021. Retrieved 1 October 2021.
  4. (5 February 2004), 2002 Gold Medalist Sue Bird Added To USA Women's Senior National Team Archived 20 June 2008 at the Wayback Machine, USA Basketball. Retrieved 4 March 2009.
  5. Women's basketball at the 2004 Summer Olympics at sports-reference.com
  6. (24 August 2004), Nigeria snaps streak, finishes 11th, ESPN. Retrieved 4 March 2009.
  7. Andy Johnston, Umoh teaches lesson in life, Augusta Chronicle, 29 January 1997. Retrieved 3 March 2009.
  8. (27 February 2006), 2006 USA Basketball Women's Senior National Team's First European Tour Roster Stocked With Talent Archived 31 March 2009 at the Wayback Machine, USA Basketball. Retrieved 4 March 2009.
  9. (12/10/08), Nigerian National Basketball Team Qualifies for 2009 Nations Cup Archived 27 August 2009 at the Wayback Machine, ZNNW.com. Retrieved 4 March 2009.
  10. "FIBA decision on Nigeria's participation in the FIBA Women's Basketball World Cup 2022". FIBA.basketball. 2 June 2022.
  11. Sheu, Idris. "Full list: Top players missing as Wakama unveils D'Tigress Afrobasket 2023 squad". thecable.ng. Retrieved 11 August 2023.
  12. Popoola, Gbopemipo. "2023 Women Afrobasket: NBBF releases final list as D'Tigress head to Rwanda for title defence". Premiumtimesng.com. Retrieved 11 August 2023.
  13. "Team roster: Nigeria". fiba.basketball. Retrieved 28 July 2023.
  14. NGR Women coach – Kevin Cook: I Want to Work with Nigeria Forever, FIBA Africa. Retrieved 4 March 2009.
  15. 2006 FIBA World Championship-Nigeria (Statistics) Archived 8 June 2011 at the Wayback Machine, USA Basketball
  16. Mechelle Voepel, (14 September 2006), Another American rout, but turnovers worth noting, ESPN. Retrieved 7 March 2009.
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