Head coach of D’Tigress, Rena Wakama, has praised South Korea women’s national basketball team after Nigeria suffered a 77–60 defeat in their second game at the FIBA Women’s Basketball World Cup Qualifying Tournament 2026 in France.
Speaking after the game, Wakama acknowledged the quality of the Korean side and admitted that Nigeria struggled with shooting efficiency during the match.
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“South Korea is a great team,” Wakama said.
The coach explained that although Nigeria had prepared for the game, the team failed to convert several scoring opportunities, which ultimately proved costly.
According to Wakama, the inability to shoot accurately and consistently allowed the Korean side to gain control of the game.
“We didn’t shoot as well as we normally do, and that made the difference,” she admitted.
Despite the loss, Wakama insisted that the defeat should not cause panic within the team.
She emphasized that setbacks are part of tournament basketball and that the focus now is on learning from the experience.
“We will learn from the loss,” she added.
The coach also stressed that the team will not overreact to the result, choosing instead to remain focused on improving ahead of their next match.
Nigeria will now shift attention to their upcoming clash against the Philippines women’s national basketball team.
Wakama believes the team has enough quality to bounce back strongly and deliver a better performance in their next outing.
“We just need to regroup and prepare for the next game,” she said.
The D’Tigress coach concluded by assuring fans that the team remains determined to improve as the tournament progresses.
