• Super Admin
• 06 Mar, 2026

Nigeria's senior women's basketball team, D'Tigress, have confirmed their final 12-player squad for the FIBA Women's Basketball World Cup Qualifying Tournament 2026. The list was released by FIBA on Thursday and also shared across the team's official social media platforms. Experienced players Ezinne Kalu, Sarah Ogoke, Amy Okonkwo and Promise Amukamara headline the squad. They are joined by Elizabeth Balogun, Nicole Enabosi, Victoria Macaulay, Murjanatu Musa, Pallas Kunayi-Akpanah, Rita Igbokwe, Ifunaya Okoro and Blessing Ejiofor. The seven-time African champions will compete in the qualifying tournament scheduled for March 11 to 17 in Lyon, France. Nigeria will begin their campaign against Colombia on March 11. They will then face South Korea on March 12, the Philippines on March 14, France on March 15 and Germany on March 17. The top three teams from the group will advance to the next stage. Having already secured automatic qualification for the 2026 FIBA Women's Basketball World Cup in Berlin after winning the 2025 Women's AfroBasket, D'Tigress will use the Lyon tournament to fine-tune tactics and strengthen team chemistry ahead of the global showpiece. Host nation Germany, Australia, Belgium and the United States have also booked their places at the tournament. D'Tigress head coach Rena Wakama initially named a larger provisional roster before trimming it down to the final 12 players for the competition. In its first power rankings for the 2026 Women's World Cup released on Thursday, FIBA placed Nigeria eighth in the world, citing the team's recent success and depth in the squad. The African champions enter the qualifiers without pressure over qualification but with an opportunity to measure themselves against some of the world's top sides. The form of Musa, who has impressed in EuroLeague Women, and the experience of players such as Kalu and Okonkwo could prove vital as Nigeria push for a strong finish in the group alongside France and Germany. Nigeria previously featured at the Women's Basketball World Cup in 2006 in Brazil and again in 2018 in Spain. The team will hope to improve on those outings when the next edition takes place in Germany in September 2026. After the qualifiers in France, D'Tigress will head to the United States in April for a landmark tour. The team is scheduled to face the Minnesota Lynx in a historic preseason exhibition, becoming the first African national side to play a WNBA franchise as part of preparations for the World Cup. Source: https://www.naijanews.com/2026/03/06/dtigress-unveil-final-squad-for-2026-fiba-womens-basketball-world-cup-qualifiers/