Head coach of Nigeria’s women’s national basketball team Nigeria women’s national basketball team, Rena Wakama, has maintained confidence in her team despite their 77–60 defeat to the South Korea women’s national basketball team in their second game of the FIBA Women’s Basketball World Cup Qualifying Tournament 2026.
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Nigeria entered the match hoping to build on their impressive 70–37 victory over the Colombia women’s national basketball team in their opening fixture, but Korea proved too strong as they controlled key moments of the contest to secure the win.
Speaking earlier after the first game, Wakama had already admitted that the team was still trying to rediscover its rhythm after months apart, insisting that more games together would help improve their overall performance.
“I’m not worried about the slow start because we still have more games to play,” Wakama said.
The coach had stressed that the players were still adjusting to each other after returning from different club commitments around the world.
“As we play more games together, the team will find its rhythm,” she added.
Against Korea, D’Tigress struggled to maintain consistency throughout the game as their opponents capitalized on defensive lapses and offensive turnovers to build a decisive lead.
Despite the setback, the Nigerian side showed flashes of quality and resilience, with Wakama previously noting that only a few tactical adjustments were needed to bring the team closer to its best level.
“We just need to make a few adjustments, but the players remain committed to the game plan,” she explained earlier in the tournament.
The loss now leaves D’Tigress needing a strong response in their remaining fixtures as they continue their push for a place at the FIBA Women’s Basketball World Cup.
Wakama remains optimistic that the African champions will improve as the competition progresses.
