France thrashed Nigeria 111-56 in D’Tigress’s final Group B game at the 2026 FIBA Women’s World Cup in Berlin, ending the African champions’ tournament without a win. The defeat followed earlier losses to South Korea (99-81) and Hungary (71-67), sealing a winless return to the championship after the team’s run to the Paris 2024 Olympic quarter-finals.
The French side imposed their tempo from the opening quarter, racing to a 31-13 lead before extending the advantage to 65-26 at half-time. France added 30 points in the third quarter and closed with 16 in the fourth, while Nigeria managed 13 points in each of the first three periods and 17 in the final.
Nigeria converted only 17 of 56 field goal attempts, well below France’s efficiency from the floor and from beyond the arc. The shooting gulf underlined the gap between the two sides on a night described as ceremonial for D’Tigress, who had already been eliminated before tip-off.
Head coach Rena Wakama framed the campaign as a rebuilding exercise, noting that several of her players had never appeared at a World Cup before. “Where we are today isn’t where we were two years ago,” she said. “We can’t rely on the success we had two years ago.”
Wakama also credited the experience of France’s squad, highlighting their WNBA players in playoff form, but insisted there were positives in the fight shown by her young roster.
