Nigeria’s D’Tigress ended their 2026 FIBA Women’s Basketball World Cup campaign with a heavy 56-111 defeat to France on Monday, finishing the group stage without a win.
France, one of the favourites for the tournament, dominated from the start and effectively settled the contest in the opening half, racing to a 65-26 lead at the break.
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D’Tigress managed just 13 points in each of the first three quarters, while France scored 31 in the first, 34 in the second and 30 in the third to establish an unassailable advantage.
Nigeria showed some resistance in the final quarter, scoring 17 points while France managed 16, but the late improvement could do little to change the outcome.
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Efosa-Aguebo was Nigeria’s leading scorer with 15 points from 4-of-7 shooting in 20:22 minutes off the bench.
Balogun added 11 points, while Kalu and Macaulay scored six points apiece. Igbokwe was Nigeria’s leading rebounder with nine, while Okonkwo grabbed eight rebounds and recorded a team-high three assists.
The defeat means D’Tigress finished their Group B campaign with three defeats from three matches.
Nigeria opened the tournament with an 81-99 loss to South Korea before suffering a narrow 67-71 defeat to Hungary in their second game.
The loss to France was their heaviest of the tournament, but the defeats to South Korea and Hungary will arguably leave a greater sense of disappointment, particularly the four-point loss to Hungary after Nigeria’s late fourth-quarter rally.
READ ALSO: D’Tigress suffer second straight World Cup defeat against Hungary
France also made history in the encounter, hitting 22 three-pointers, according to the match information provided, setting a record for the most three-pointers in a single game at the Women’s Basketball World Cup since 1994.
D’Tigress’ three consecutive defeats mark their worst-ever record in the history of their participation at the competition.
The campaign also leaves Nigeria with questions to address ahead of future international competitions, particularly as several experienced players could be nearing the end of their international careers.
With the World Cup campaign over, attention will now turn to rebuilding the team and planning for the future, including preparing for the possibility of losing some of the players who have been part of Nigeria’s recent campaigns.
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