Nigeria’s senior women’s basketball team, D’Tigress, have been drawn in a challenging Group B for the 2026 FIBA Women’s Basketball World Cup, where they will face France, South Korea, and Hungary.
The draw ceremony, held in Berlin on April 21, confirmed the group-stage pairings for the tournament, which is scheduled to take place from September 4 to 13, 2026.
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D’Tigress, Africa’s reigning champions, will come up against one of the tournament favourites in France, currently ranked second in the world.
The Nigerians will also battle South Korea, ranked 15th globally and a side that defeated them during the 2026 qualifiers, as well as Hungary, who are making a return to the competition after nearly three decades.
The 2026 edition of the competition will feature an expanded format of 16 teams, an increase from the previous 12, further raising the level of competition at the global showpiece.
Full groupings released after the draw are as follows:
Group A – Germany, Spain, Japan, Mali; Group B – Nigeria, France, South Korea, Hungary; Group C – Belgium, Australia, Puerto Rico, Türkiye; Group D – United States, China, Italy, Czechia.
Meanwhile, D’Tigress have stepped up preparations ahead of the tournament under head coach Rena Wakama.
The team is currently on a training tour of the United States, where they are scheduled to play a series of high-profile friendly matches against Women’s National Basketball Association (WNBA) teams, including the Los Angeles Sparks, Minnesota Lynx, and Indiana Fever.
The friendlies are part of efforts to strengthen the squad as they aim to build on their historic quarterfinal finish at the Paris 2024 Olympic Games and make a strong impression at the World Cup in Germany.
