Nigeria’s 2026 FIBA Women’s Basketball World Cup campaign ended in heartbreak after a narrow 71-67 loss to Hungary and a mathematical elimination triggered by France’s 95-69 victory over South Korea. The French result locked D’Tigress into the bottom spot of Group B through head-to-head tiebreakers, ending any hope of advancing among the top three.
Head coach Rena Wakama pointed to early execution and missed opportunities as the decisive factors against Hungary. D’Tigress shot 12 of 23 from the free-throw line and struggled to find a rhythm before a fourth-quarter surge that fell short. “It was another rough game. It’s tough when your shots aren’t falling,” Wakama said. “We got great looks in the first half and we got to the free-throw line. But we have a small margin for error with this group right now, and we just weren’t able to get it done today.”
Wakama highlighted tactical gains, noting that turnovers fell from 23 in the opener to 11 against Hungary, but stressed the need for stronger starts. “My challenge for the team is to start the game with that energy because it sets everything. Our starts haven’t been that great,” she added. Captain Amy Okonkwo cited Hungary’s 51 percent shooting and rebounding edge, while Wakama called her “all-reliable.”
Under the 2026 format, fourth-placed group finishers are eliminated immediately, with no crossover round available. D’Tigress now face European powerhouse France in their final group match, playing for pride after missing the quarter-final stage they reached at the 2018 World Cup in Spain.
