Nigeria women’s national basketball team began their FIBA Women’s Basketball World Cup qualifying campaign in Villeurbanne with an emphatic 70–37 victory over Colombia women’s national basketball team on Wednesday.
In the first-ever meeting between the two sides, coach Rena Wakama’s team delivered a commanding performance to dominate their South American opponents. The Nigerian side produced a 16–0 scoring run and controlled the third and fourth quarters, limiting Colombia to just eight points combined in both periods.
Already qualified for the FIBA World Cup, Nigeria is participating in the tournament to boost its ranking points, with Vitoria Macauley leading the scoring with 13 points.
Forward Nicole Enabosi also impressed with a double-double of 10 points and 10 rebounds, while adding five assists.
Other notable contributors included guard Ifunaya Okoro with 10 points, Ezinne Kalu with eight points, and Elizabeth Balogun.
Nigeria claimed the opening quarter by six points (18–12), although Colombia mounted a brief response to edge the second quarter by a single point (17–16).
However, the third quarter proved decisive for D’Tigress, the 2025 African champions, as Macauley and Okoro combined to level the score at 27–27.
A lay-up from Enabosi restored Nigeria’s lead, after which the team surged ahead to secure a comfortable second-half victory.
With the win, D’Tigress extended their unbeaten run to six matches and will next face South Korea women’s national basketball team.