Victoria Macaulay was named the TCL Player of the Game after delivering a standout performance to help Nigeria’s senior women’s basketball team, D’Tigress, defeat Colombia 70–37 in their opening match of the 2026 FIBA Women’s Basketball World Cup Qualifying Tournament on Wednesday at the Astroballe Arena in Lyon, France.
Macaulay scored 13 points in just 14 minutes off the bench, shooting an impressive 5-of-6 from the field and converting all three of her free throws in an efficient display.
The forward also made her presence felt on both ends of the floor, recording six rebounds, one assist, one steal, and two blocks to cap a well-rounded performance in Nigeria’s convincing 33-point victory.
D’Tigress dominated defensively throughout the encounter, particularly in the second half where they restricted Colombia to just eight points.
Nigeria took control early, leading 18–12 at the end of the first quarter before Colombia narrowly edged the second quarter 17–16.
However, D’Tigress responded emphatically after halftime, outscoring their opponents 19–5 in the third quarter and 17–3 in the fourth to seal the emphatic win.
Nicole Enabosi also played a key role for Nigeria, recording a double-double with 10 points and 11 rebounds, while Ifunanya Okoro added 10 points in the dominant victory.
Despite competing in the qualifying tournament, Nigeria has already secured a place at the 2026 FIBA Women’s Basketball World Cup in Germany after winning the 2025 AfroBasket championship.
D’Tigress will continue their campaign in Lyon with upcoming games against South Korea, France, and Germany as they aim to strengthen their FIBA world ranking.
