Nigeria’s senior women’s basketball team, D’Tigress, opened their 2026 FIBA Women’s Basketball World Cup Qualifying Tournament campaign with a commanding 70–37 victory over Colombia on Wednesday at Astroballe Arena in Villeurbanne, Lyon, France.
Nigeria controlled the contest from start to finish, securing a 33-point win in the opening game of the qualifying tournament.
Colombia remained competitive in the first half and trailed only 34–29 at the break.
But D’Tigress raised their defensive intensity after the interval, limiting Colombia to just eight points across the entire second half.
Nigeria held their opponents to five points in the third quarter and only three in the fourth to seal the emphatic victory.
The quarter scores read 18–12, 16–17, 19–5 and 17–3 in favour of Nigeria.
Victoria Macaulay was named Player of the Game after scoring 13 points and collecting six rebounds in just 14 minutes.
Nicole Enabosi recorded a double-double with 10 points and 11 rebounds, while Ifunanya Okoro added 10 points and finished with a +29 plus/minus rating.
The match marked the first ever meeting between Nigeria and Colombia in women’s basketball.
The victory also extended Nigeria’s run to six consecutive wins in competitive play.
Although D’Tigress have already qualified for the 2026 Women’s World Cup in Berlin as African champions, the qualifying tournament serves as preparation and an opportunity to improve global rankings.
Nigeria will return to the court on Thursday, March 12, where they face South Korea in their next game of the tournament.
