Winless D’Tigress End 2026 FIBA World Cup With Heavy Defeat to France
Nigeria’s D’Tigress have ended their 2026 FIBA Women’s Basketball World Cup campaign without a victory after suffering a heavy 111-56 defeat to France in their final Group B game in Berlin on Monday.
The reigning African champions were outplayed from the opening tip as France delivered a dominant performance to maintain their perfect start to the competition.
France immediately took control, racing to a 31-13 lead at the end of the first quarter.
The gap became even wider in the second quarter, with France taking a commanding 65-26 advantage into halftime.
D’Tigress struggled to match France’s intensity after the break as the European side continued to punish Nigeria from the perimeter and extend its advantage.
France eventually completed a 55-point victory to finish the group stage with three wins from three games.
Grace Efosa-Aguebor led Nigeria’s scoring with 15 points, while Elizabeth Balogun contributed 11 points.
France, meanwhile, produced a remarkable shooting display, making 22 three-pointers as they secured one of their biggest wins of the tournament.
D’Tigress’ World Cup Campaign
Nigeria’s difficult campaign had begun with an 81-99 defeat to South Korea.
D’Tigress showed flashes of quality during the encounter but struggled to sustain their challenge as South Korea pulled away in the closing stages.
Nigeria faced Hungary in their second Group B fixture and suffered another setback, losing 67-71.
The four-point defeat left D’Tigress needing a major result against France to keep their campaign alive, but the African champions were unable to produce the required upset.
The heavy loss completed a disappointing three-game group-stage campaign for Nigeria.
D’Tigress Results at 2026 FIBA Women’s World Cup
South Korea 99-81 Nigeria
Nigeria 67-71 Hungary
Nigeria 56-111 France
D’Tigress therefore finish at the bottom of Group B without a win, while France advance to the knockout stage with a perfect record.
For Nigeria, the tournament represents a setback after years of impressive progress on the continental stage.
The team will now have an opportunity to assess its performance in Berlin, address the weaknesses exposed against some of the world’s strongest teams and begin preparations for its next international challenge.
Despite the disappointing World Cup campaign, D’Tigress remain Africa’s reigning champions and will be expected to bounce back strongly in their next major assignment.
