- D’Tigress’ historic rise was fuelled by a stellar Olympic campaign
The Nigeria Senior Women’s Basketball Team, D’Tigress, has risen to eighth place in the world rankings following a strong performance at the 2024 Paris Olympics.
This impressive four-spot jump solidifies their status as one of the top ten teams in the world, making them the first African team—male or female—to reach this milestone in the FIBA world rankings.
D’Tigress’ historic rise was fuelled by a stellar Olympic campaign that included several notable accomplishments.
For the first time, the team won two out of three games, becoming the first African team (male or female) to reach the Olympic quarterfinals.
They had started with a landmark victory against Australia in their opening game, winning 75-62 to mark their first Olympic win in 20 years as well as a brilliant performance against France.
Even though D’Tigress lost 54-75 in their second game to hosts France in Lille, they surged back to beat Canada 79-70 and qualify for the quarter-finals from Group B which made them the first African team to advance to the Olympic basketball quarter-finals.
Although they were defeated by the United States in the quarter-finals, D’Tigress’ remarkable performance earned their head coach, Rena Wakama, the accolade of best coach of the women’s basketball event.
The top five teams in women’s basketball remain the United States (Olympic champions), Australia, France, China, and Spain. D’Tigress’ groundbreaking achievement solidifies their position as six-time AfroBasket champions and a rising powerhouse in global women’s basketball.
The U.S. remains at the top of the FIBA rankings after winning their 10th Olympic gold medal, with 883.3 points. France climbed four places to third after an impressive run to the final, narrowly losing to the U.S.
Germany made a historic Olympic debut, reaching the quarter-finals and jumping eight places to 13th. Serbia also reached the quarter-finals, moving from 10th to 9th.
Czechia and Hungary advanced in the rankings after winning Pre-Qualifying Tournaments for the FIBA Women’s Basketball World Cup 2026, with Czechia moving to 21st and Hungary to 15th.
Rwanda achieved the biggest jump, rising 12 places to 62nd, while South Korea remained steady despite earning more points.
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