The Nigeria women's national basketball team, also known as the D'Tigress, represents Nigeria in international women's basketball competition, and are regulated by the Nigeria Basketball Federation, the governing body for basketball in Nigeria. Nigeria has one of the most successful women's national teams on the African continent, being the current African champions. They have won the Women's Afrobasket Championship a record five times in a row and seven times in total. They won in 2017 at Bamako, Mali, 2019 at Dakar, Senegal, 2021 at Yaounde, Cameroon, 2023 at Kigali, Rwanda, and 2025 at Abidjan, Ivory Coast. They are the only African team to reach the quarter finals of both the Fiba Women's World Cup and the Olympics.

History 2004 Summer Olympics The Nigerians competed at the 2004 Summer Olympics in basketball, one of ten events their national teams qualified for. The Nigerian women's basketball team was one of the twelve teams competing in the event. They earned their berth through a zone qualifying tournament and played in Group A along with Australia, Brazil, Greece, Japan, and Russia.(5 February 2004), 2002 Gold Medalist Sue Bird Added To USA Women's Senior National Team , USA Basketball. Retrieved 4 March 2009. The team went 0–5 in the preliminary round. In the 11/12th place game, they defeated the Korea for a final finish of 11th out of 12 teams.Women's basketball at the 2004 Summer Olympics at sports-reference.com With this win, they became the first women's African basketball team to win a game at the Olympics.(24 August 2004), Nigeria snaps streak, finishes 11th, ESPN. Retrieved 4 March 2009.

Mfon Udoka was the team's leading scorer and the tournament's second highest scorer. Team athletes Itoro Umoh-Coleman and Joanne Aluka both played high school basketball at Hephzibah High School prior to playing together for Nigeria.Andy Johnston, Umoh teaches lesson in life, Augusta Chronicle, 29 January 1997. Retrieved 3 March 2009.

2006 FIBA World Championship for Women Nigeria qualified for the 2006 FIBA World Championship by winning the 2005 FIBA Africa Championship for Women.(27 February 2006), 2006 USA Basketball Women's Senior National Team's First European Tour Roster Stocked With Talent , USA Basketball. Retrieved 4 March 2009. They were placed into Group C with China, Russia, and the United States. Nigeria did not qualify for a pass into the second round and were defeated in the 15/16th place game by fellow African representatives Senegal by a score of 66–64. Their tournament record was 0–5.

Nigeria also participated in the 2006 Commonwealth Games held in Melbourne, Australia.

Team in 2007 The team attended the FIBA Africa Championship for Women 2007; the qualifying event for African teams attempting to make the 2008 Summer Olympics. Nigeria made it to the quarterfinals of the 2007 FIBA African Championship before losing to Mozambique 69–61. They won fifth place by defeating Cameroon 63–50. The team did not qualify for the Beijing Olympic Games.

The Nigerian squad went undefeated in group play during the 2007 All-Africa Games. They went on to the semi-finals and lost to Mozambique 57–46.

2009 Nations Cup Nigeria has qualified for the 2009 Africa Cup of Nations (basketball) to be held in Libya.(12/10/08), Nigerian National Basketball Team Qualifies for 2009 Nations Cup , ZNNW.com. Retrieved 4 March 2009.

2024 Summer Olympics At the 2024 Summer Olympics in Paris, the Nigerian women’s basketball team defeated Australia 75-62 in their first game. This was the team’s first Olympic game victory in 20 years. The team lost its second game in the tournament 75-54 against the host nation, France. In their third game against Canada, they won 79-70 to advance to the quarterfinals for the first time ever. With this victory, the team became the first African basketball team, male or female, to qualify for the quarterfinals of the basketball competition at the Olympics.

Competitive record

FIBA World Cup FIBA World Cup recordYearRoundPosition 1953N/A (Team did not exist) 1957 1959 1964did not enter 1967 1971 1975did not qualify 1979did not enter 1983 1986 1990 1994 1998did not qualify 2002did not enter 2006Group stage16th 5 0 5 296 381 −85 2010did not qualify 2014 2018Quarter-finals8th 7 3 4 448 508 −60 2022 Withdrawn 2026 Group stage16th 3 0 3 204 281 −77 2030 To be determinedTotal3/210 titles153129481170−222

Summer Olympics Olympic Games recordYearReachedPositionGPWLGSGAGD 1976did not enter 1980 1984 1988 1992 1996did not qualify 2000 2004Group stage11th 6 1 5 403 486 −83 2008did not qualify 2012 2016 2020Group stage11th 3 0 3 217 270 −53 2024Quarterfinals8th 4 2 2 282 295 −13Total3/130 titles133109021051−149

AfroBasket Women AfroBasket recordYearRoundPositionGPWLGSGAGD 1966did not enter 1968 1970 1974Group stage 5th 5 3 2 278 245 +33 1977did not enter 1979 1981Group stage7th 4 1 3 215 280 −65 1983did not enter 1984 1986 1990 1993 1994 1997Semi-finals3rd 6 4 2 398 310+88 2000did not enter 2003Champions1st651386 328+58 2005Champions1st523454293+161 2007Quarter-finals5th8 6 2 516 448 +68 2009Quarter-finals5th 8 4 4 441 440 +1 2011Semi-finals4th844511502+9 2013Quarter-finals6th 8 3 5 411 429 −18 2015Semi-final3rd862608 477+131 2017Champions1st880645413 +232 2019Champions1st550399243+156 2021Champions1st550367292+75 2023Champions1st550374274+100 2025Champions1st550418279+139Total15/297 titles94662864215253+1002

Team honours and achievements Intercontinental FIBA Women's Basketball World Cup Quarterfinals: 2018 Continental AfroBasket Women Gold Medal: 2003, 2005, 2017 2019 2021 2023 2025 Bronze Medal: 1997, 2015 All Africa Games Gold Medal: 2003 Silver Medal: 2007, 2015 Bronze Medal: 1995, 1978, 1999, 2011

Team Current roster Roster for the 2026 FIBA Women's Basketball World Cup.

Former players and coaches This is a list of former players and coaches, as well as current players who have played on past squads, with their years on the team indicated by the Nigerian flag beneath a given year.NGR Women coach – Kevin Cook: I Want to Work with Nigeria Forever, FIBA Africa. Retrieved 4 March 2009.2006 FIBA World Championship-Nigeria (Statistics) , USA BasketballMechelle Voepel, (14 September 2006), Another American rout, but turnovers worth noting, ESPN. Retrieved 7 March 2009.

NameNumberPositionNationality2004*20052006200720082009Olawunmi Adebayo9Tayeloly Adeniyi10Mobolaji Akiode6GuardNigeriaJoanne Aluka5ForwardUnited StatesMactabene Amachree13GuardNigeria As a player from 1994 to 2009 as an Executive 2017 to 2021Parricia Chukwuma12Kevin CookCoachAdenike Dawodu11Nguveren Iyorhe10GuardEzinne James15Aisha Mohammed9GuardJuliana Ojoshogu Negedu7GuardScott NnajiCoachChineze Nwagbo8Linda Ogugua15CenterNigeriaMorolake Ogunoye5Ugo Oha8CenterUnited StatesUgochuckwu Oha15Funmilayo Ojelabi-Ogunleye10Mercy Okorie7Adeola Olanrewaju14Taiwo Rafiu14CenterRashidat Sadiq12ForwardSam Vincent (basketball)CoachItoro Umoh-Coleman4GuardUnited StatesTamunomiete Whyte5 *Olympic games attended by the squad indicated in this year.

See also Nigeria women's national under-19 basketball team Nigeria women's national under-17 basketball team

References

External links

FIBA profile Nigeria Basketball Records at FIBA Archive Afrobasket – Nigeria Women National Team