Nigeria’s D’Tigress have suffered a heavy 111–56 defeat to France in their final Group B game of the 2026 FIBA Women’s Basketball World Cup, bringing a difficult campaign to a disappointing conclusion in Berlin.
The reigning African champions were simply unable to match France’s intensity, shooting efficiency and offensive firepower as the European side raced into a commanding lead and never looked back.
France took control from the opening quarter, outscoring Nigeria 31–13, before extending the advantage to 65–26 at half-time. The French continued their dominance after the break, adding 30 points in the third quarter before closing out the contest with another 16 in the final period.
Nigeria managed just 56 points, scoring 13 in each of the first three quarters before producing 17 in the fourth.
The defeat also highlighted the gulf in shooting efficiency. Nigeria attempted 56 field goals and made only 17, while France attempted 65 and converted at a significantly higher rate. France were particularly devastating from beyond the arc, with their long-range shooting helping them build an unassailable advantage.
The result comes after D’Tigress had already suffered defeats to South Korea (99–81) and Hungary (71–67) in their opening two Group B games. Those results had already ended Nigeria’s hopes of advancing to the knockout phase before Monday’s encounter with France.
It means Nigeria finish their return to the World Cup without a victory, a major disappointment for a team that arrived in Berlin with considerable expectations following its historic run to the quarter-finals at the Paris 2024 Olympic Games.
Nigeria had entered the tournament ranked eighth in the world and as the reigning five-time African champions. FIBA had identified a top-seven finish as a potential new landmark for the team, whose best World Cup performance remains eighth place in 2018.
Captain Amy Okonkwo had been one of Nigeria’s brightest performers earlier in the tournament, averaging 19.5 points and 6.5 rebounds after the opening two games. She scored 22 points against South Korea and 17 against Hungary, but Nigeria struggled collectively against France.
The result also represents another painful chapter in Nigeria’s recent meetings with France. The Europeans had previously defeated D’Tigress at the 2018 World Cup, Tokyo 2020 Olympics and Paris 2024 Olympics, making Monday’s result their fourth consecutive victory over Nigeria at those major tournaments.
For coach Rena Wakama, the tournament will raise difficult questions after D’Tigress failed to reproduce the competitive level that carried them to the Olympic quarter-finals two years ago.
The coach had earlier admitted that Nigeria’s slow starts against South Korea and Hungary contributed significantly to their struggles, with the late rally against Hungary ultimately coming too late to change the outcome.
Despite the disappointing result, D’Tigress remain one of the most successful women’s basketball teams in Africa, having dominated the continent and secured a historic quarter-final appearance at Paris 2024.
But Berlin has exposed the work still required if Nigeria are to turn that continental dominance into sustained success against the world’s elite.
Three games. Three defeats. A painful World Cup exit — and now, a serious rebuilding job awaits D’Tigress.
