Nigeria’s D’Tigress Overcome Slow Start to Defeat Philippines in FIBA Qualifier
ABIDJAN — Nigeria’s women’s national basketball team, the D’Tigress, staged a decisive second-half comeback to defeat the Philippines 101-84 in their third game at the 2026 FIBA Women’s World Cup Qualifying Tournament on Saturday.
The African champions entered the contest seeking to rebound from a 77-60 loss to Colombia two days prior. However, they faced an early challenge from the determined Filipinas, who won the opening quarter 25-21. The Philippines extended their advantage, carrying a 51-42 lead into halftime.
The contest shifted dramatically after the break. The D’Tigress, coached by Rena Wakama, unleashed a dominant third-quarter performance, outscoring their opponents 34-21 to erase the deficit and seize control. That momentum carried into the final period, where Nigeria continued their offensive surge, winning the quarter 25-12 to secure a commanding victory and cross the 100-point threshold.
The win improves Nigeria’s record in the Qualifying Tournament to 1-2, keeping their hopes for a 2026 FIBA Women’s World Cup berth alive. The Philippines falls to 0-3 in Group B, facing an uphill battle to advance.
This round of qualifiers, hosted in Indonesia, features teams competing for limited spots at the global tournament. Nigeria, as reigning Afrobasket champions, entered the window with high expectations but now must win their remaining games to solidify a qualification path. The Philippines, making their debut in this qualifying phase after a historic appearance at the 2024 Paris Olympics, continues to gain valuable experience against top international competition.
The D’Tigress will face a critical test next when they play France on Sunday. They will conclude their group phase against Germany on Monday. Results across all group games will determine which nations advance from this qualifying window to the next stage of the 2026 FIBA Women’s World Cup qualification process.
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