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Nigeria women's national basketball team

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

For the men's team, see Nigeria men's national basketball team.

Nigeria
FIBA ranking8 Increase 4 (26 August 2024)[1]
Joined FIBA1964
FIBA zoneFIBA Africa
National federationNigerian Basketball Federation
CoachRena Wakama
Nickname(s)D'Tigress
Olympic Games
Appearances3
World Cup
Appearances2
MedalsQuarter-finals (2018)
AfroBasket
Appearances15
Medals (2003, 2005, 2017, 2019, 2021, 2023)
(1997, 2015)
All Africa Games
Appearances8
MedalsGold Gold: (2003)
Silver Silver: (2007, 2015)
Bronze Bronze: (1978, 1999, 2011)
Home jersey
Team colours
Home
Away jersey
Team colours
Away

The Nigeria women's national basketball team, also known as the D'Tigress, represents Nigeria in international women's basketball competition, and are regulated by the Nigeria Basketball Federation, the governing body for basketball in Nigeria. Nigeria has one of the most successful women's national teams on the African continent, being the current African champions. They have won the Women's Afrobasket Championship four times in a row and six times in total.[2] They won in 2017 at Bamako, Mali, 2019 at Dakar, Senegal, 2021 at Yaounde, Cameroon, and 2023 at Kigali, Rwanda.[3]

History

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2004 Summer Olympics

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The Nigerians competed at the 2004 Summer Olympics in basketball, one of ten events their national teams qualified for. The Nigerian women's basketball team was one of the twelve teams competing in the event. They earned their berth through a zone qualifying tournament and played in Group A along with Australia, Brazil, Greece, Japan, and Russia.[4] The team went 0–5 in the preliminary round. In the 11/12th place game, they defeated the Korea for a final finish of 11th out of 12 teams.[5] With this win, they became the first women's African basketball team to win a game at the Olympics.[6]

Mfon Udoka was the team's leading scorer and the tournament's second highest scorer. Team athletes Itoro Umoh-Coleman and Joanne Aluka both played high school basketball at Hephzibah High School prior to playing together for Nigeria.[7]

2006 FIBA World Championship for Women

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Nigeria qualified for the 2006 FIBA World Championship by winning the 2005 FIBA Africa Championship for Women.[8] They were placed into Group C with China, Russia, and the United States. Nigeria did not qualify for a pass into the second round and were defeated in the 15/16th place game by fellow African representatives Senegal by a score of 66–64. Their tournament record was 0–5.

Nigeria also participated in the 2006 Commonwealth Games held in Melbourne, Australia.

Team in 2007

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The team attended the FIBA Africa Championship for Women 2007; the qualifying event for African teams attempting to make the 2008 Summer Olympics. Nigeria made it to the quarterfinals of the 2007 FIBA African Championship before losing to Mozambique 69–61. They won fifth place by defeating Cameroon 63–50. The team did not qualify for the Beijing Olympic Games.

The Nigerian squad went undefeated in group play during the 2007 All-Africa Games. They went on to the semi-finals and lost to Mozambique 57–46.

2009 Nations Cup

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Nigeria has qualified for the 2009 Africa Cup of Nations (basketball) to be held in Libya.[9]

2024 Summer Olympics

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At the 2024 Summer Olympics in Paris, the Nigerian women’s basketball team defeated Australia 75-62 in their first game. This was the team’s first Olympic game victory in 20 years.[10] The team lost its second game in the tournament 75-54 against the host nation, France.[11] In their third game, they won 79-70 to advance to the quarterfinals for the first time ever. With this victory, the team became the first African basketball team, male or female, to qualify for the quarterfinals of the basketball competition at the Olympics.[12]

Competitive record

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AfroBasket Women

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AfroBasket record
Year Round Position GP W L GS GA GD
Guinea 1966 did not enter
United Arab Republic 1968
Tunisia 1970
Tunisia 1974 Group stage 5th 5 3 2 278 245 +33
Senegal 1977 did not enter
Somalia 1979
Senegal 1981 Group stage 7th 4 1 3 215 280 −65
Senegal 1983 did not enter
Senegal 1984
Mozambique 1986
Tunisia 1990
Senegal 1993
South Africa 1994
Kenya 1997 Semi-finals 3rd 6 4 2 398 310 +88
Senegal 2000 did not enter
Mozambique 2003 Champions 1st 6 5 1 386 328 +58
Nigeria 2005 Champions 1st 5 2 3 454 293 +161
Senegal 2007 Quarter-finals 5th 8 6 2 516 448 +68
Madagascar 2009 Quarter-finals 5th 8 4 4 441 440 +1
Mali 2011 Semi-finals 4th 8 4 4 511 502 +9
Mozambique 2013 Quarter-finals 6th 8 3 5 411 429 −18
Cameroon 2015 Semi-final 3rd 8 6 2 608 477 +131
Mali 2017 Champions 1st 8 8 0 645 413 +232
Senegal 2019 Champions 1st 5 5 0 399 243 +156
Cameroon 2021 Champions 1st 5 5 0 367 292 +75
Rwanda 2023 Champions 1st 5 5 0 374 274 +100
Ivory Coast 2025 Qualified
Total 15/29 6 titles 89 61 28 6003 4974 +873

Team honours and achievements

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Intercontinental

Continental

Team

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Current roster

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Roster for the 2024 Summer Olympics. A 16-player roster was announced on 7 July 2024.[14] The final squad was revealed on 23 July 2024.[15]

Nigeria women's national basketball team – 2024 Summer Olympics roster
Players Coaches
Pos. No. Name Age – Date of birth Height Club Ctr.
F 0 Amy Okonkwo (C) 27 – (1996-08-26)26 August 1996 1.88 m (6 ft 2 in) Tango Bourges Basket France
C 3 Pallas Kunaiyi-Akpannah 27 – (1997-07-12)12 July 1997 1.88 m (6 ft 2 in) Magnolia Basket Campobasso Italy
G 4 Elizabeth Balogun 23 – (2000-09-09)9 September 2000 1.85 m (6 ft 1 in) CB Bembibre Spain
SG 5 Olaoluwatomi Taiwo 24 – (2000-06-16)16 June 2000 1.78 m (5 ft 10 in) Esgueira Basket Portugal
C 6 Lauren Ebo 24 – (2000-06-07)7 June 2000 1.93 m (6 ft 4 in) Turgutlu Belediyespor Turkey
G 9 Ifunanya Okoro 25 – (1999-07-06)6 July 1999 1.83 m (6 ft 0 in) Tindastóll Iceland
PG 10 Promise Amukamara 31 – (1993-06-22)22 June 1993 1.75 m (5 ft 9 in) Dynamo Kursk Russia
F 20 Murjanatu Musa 24 – (2000-05-05)5 May 2000 1.87 m (6 ft 2 in) Celta de Vigo Spain
C 22 Blessing Ejiofor 25 – (1998-09-02)2 September 1998 1.95 m (6 ft 5 in) Celta de Vigo Spain
PG 23 Ezinne Kalu 32 – (1992-06-26)26 June 1992 1.73 m (5 ft 8 in) Basket Roma Italy
SF 25 Adebola Adeyeye 24 – (1999-11-10)10 November 1999 1.88 m (6 ft 2 in) Kentucky Wildcats United States
F 33 Nicole Enabosi 27 – (1997-03-26)26 March 1997 1.83 m (6 ft 0 in) C' Chartres Basket Féminin France
Head coach
Assistant coach(es)
  • France Wani Muganguzi
Legend
  • (C) Team captain
  • Club – describes last
    club before the tournament
  • Age – describes age
    on 28 July 2024

Former players and coaches

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This is a list of former players and coaches, as well as current players who have played on past squads, with their years on the team indicated by the Nigerian flag beneath a given year.[17][18][19]

Name Number Position Nationality 2004* 2005 2006 2007 2008 2009
Olawunmi Adebayo 9 Nigeria
Tayeloly Adeniyi 10 Nigeria
Mobolaji Akiode 6 Guard Nigeria Nigeria Nigeria
Joanne Aluka 5 Forward United States Nigeria
Mactabene Amachree 13 Guard Nigeria Nigeria As a player from 1994 to 2009 as an Executive 2017 to 2021
Parricia Chukwuma 12 Nigeria
Kevin Cook Coach Nigeria Nigeria
Adenike Dawodu 11 Nigeria
Nguveren Iyorhe 10 Guard Nigeria
Ezinne James 15 Nigeria
Aisha Mohammed 9 Guard Nigeria Nigeria
Juliana Ojoshogu Negedu 7 Guard Nigeria
Scott Nnaji Coach Nigeria
Chineze Nwagbo 8 Nigeria
Linda Ogugua 15 Center Nigeria Nigeria
Morolake Ogunoye 5 Nigeria
Ugo Oha 8 Center United States Nigeria
Ugochuckwu Oha 15 Nigeria Nigeria
Funmilayo Ojelabi-Ogunleye 10 Nigeria Nigeria
Mercy Okorie 7 Nigeria Nigeria
Adeola Olanrewaju 14 Nigeria
Taiwo Rafiu 14 Center Nigeria
Rashidat Sadiq 12 Forward Nigeria Nigeria
Sam Vincent (basketball) Coach Nigeria
Itoro Umoh-Coleman 4 Guard United States Nigeria Nigeria
Tamunomiete Whyte 5 Nigeria

*Olympic games attended by the squad indicated in this year.

See also

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References

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  1. ^ "FIBA Ranking Presented by Nike". FIBA. 26 August 2024. Retrieved 26 August 2024.
  2. ^ "Nigeria are the winners of FIBA Women's AfroBasket 2021". FIBA.basketball. Retrieved 1 October 2021.
  3. ^ "D'Tigress stun Mali to claim historic 3rd consecutive Afrobasket title". TheCable. 26 September 2021. Retrieved 1 October 2021.
  4. ^ (5 February 2004), 2002 Gold Medalist Sue Bird Added To USA Women's Senior National Team Archived 20 June 2008 at the Wayback Machine, USA Basketball. Retrieved 4 March 2009.
  5. ^ Women's basketball at the 2004 Summer Olympics at sports-reference.com
  6. ^ (24 August 2004), Nigeria snaps streak, finishes 11th, ESPN. Retrieved 4 March 2009.
  7. ^ Andy Johnston, Umoh teaches lesson in life, Augusta Chronicle, 29 January 1997. Retrieved 3 March 2009.
  8. ^ (27 February 2006), 2006 USA Basketball Women's Senior National Team's First European Tour Roster Stocked With Talent Archived 31 March 2009 at the Wayback Machine, USA Basketball. Retrieved 4 March 2009.
  9. ^ (12/10/08), Nigerian National Basketball Team Qualifies for 2009 Nations Cup Archived 27 August 2009 at the Wayback Machine, ZNNW.com. Retrieved 4 March 2009.
  10. ^ Mabunda, Sindiswa. "Nigeria Ends 20-Year Olympic Drought With Triumph Over Australia". Forbes. Retrieved 4 August 2024.
  11. ^ Alaka, Jide (1 August 2024). "JUST IN: Paris 2024: D'Tigress lose to France, stay second in Group B". Premium Times Nigeria. Retrieved 4 August 2024.
  12. ^ Usen, Tom (4 August 2024). "D'Tigress Beat Canada, Become First African Nation To Reach Olympics Quarter-Final". Channels Television.
  13. ^ "FIBA decision on Nigeria's participation in the FIBA Women's Basketball World Cup 2022". FIBA.basketball. 2 June 2022.
  14. ^ "Paris Olympics: NBBF invites Kalu, 15 others for preOlympics camping". newtelegraphng.com. 7 July 2024. Retrieved 7 July 2024.
  15. ^ "Paris 2024: DTigress unveil final Olympics squad". premiumtimesng.com. 23 July 2024. Retrieved 23 July 2024.
  16. ^ "Team roster: Nigeria" (PDF). fiba.basketball. p. 7. Retrieved 26 July 2024.
  17. ^ NGR Women coach – Kevin Cook: I Want to Work with Nigeria Forever, FIBA Africa. Retrieved 4 March 2009.
  18. ^ 2006 FIBA World Championship-Nigeria (Statistics) Archived 8 June 2011 at the Wayback Machine, USA Basketball
  19. ^ Mechelle Voepel, (14 September 2006), Another American rout, but turnovers worth noting, ESPN. Retrieved 7 March 2009.
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