Colombian basketball player Daniela Rodriguez has admitted that her team expected a difficult challenge against Nigeria women’s national basketball team after their heavy 70–37 defeat to the African champions in the FIBA Women’s Basketball World Cup Qualifying Tournament 2026.
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Rodriguez acknowledged the quality of the Nigerian side, noting that Colombia were aware from the beginning that they were facing one of the strongest teams in the competition.
“We knew it would be a very tough game against the champions of Africa,” Rodriguez said.
According to the Colombian player, her team performed reasonably well in the first half of the game and managed to stay competitive before Nigeria took control of the contest after the break.
“I think we did well in the first half,” she added.
However, Rodriguez admitted that the team struggled to explain their collapse in the second half, when Nigeria tightened their defense and limited Colombia’s scoring opportunities.
D’Tigress dominated the latter stages of the game, allowing Colombia to score just eight points in the second half while extending their lead to seal a comfortable victory.
“I can’t really explain what happened in the second half,” Rodriguez admitted.
Despite the disappointing result, the Colombian player said she remains proud to represent her country at the international tournament.
“Regardless of the result, I’m happy to represent my nation,” she said.
The defeat came in Colombia’s opening match of the qualifying tournament, where teams are battling for places at the FIBA Women’s Basketball World Cup.
Meanwhile, Nigeria went on to face South Korea women’s national basketball team in their second game of the competition, where the African champions suffered a 77–60 defeat.
