D’Tigress head coach Rena Wakama has praised the fighting spirit of her players despite their 93–86 defeat at the FIBA Women’s Basketball World Cup Qualifiers in France.
Wakama said the team had come through a demanding stretch of games against Colombia, the Philippines and hosts France, and she was proud of the character shown by the players throughout the contest.
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“I’m proud of the fight the team showed,” Wakama said.
The coach acknowledged that the match was another tough test for Nigeria, but stressed that the performance also offered valuable lessons for the team going forward.
According to her, D’Tigress must now take those lessons on board, improve in key areas, and learn how to make the most of decisive moments in games at this level.
“We have to learn from this experience and get better,” she added.
Wakama emphasized that if Nigeria wants to remain among the top teams in world basketball, the players must continue improving and be more clinical when the big moments come.
“We must take advantage of big moments if we want to stay among the best in the world,” she said.
Despite the loss, the D’Tigress coach maintained that the tournament has provided important exposure and preparation for the team against elite opposition.
Nigeria will now turn attention to their final game of the tournament, where they are scheduled to face Germany on Tuesday.
Wakama believes the team still has another opportunity to finish strongly and show the progress they have made during the competition.
