Nigeria’s senior women’s basketball team, D’Tigress, made history by becoming the first African team to reach the quarter-finals of an Olympic basketball tournament. The milestone was achieved after a stunning 79-70 victory over Canada in their final group game of the 2024 Paris Olympics.
The game at the Pierre Mauroy Stadium in Lille, France, saw a fierce battle between the two teams. The first quarter ended in a deadlock, with both teams scoring 18 points each. However, the second quarter saw Canada pulling ahead, leading 41-37 at halftime.
D’Tigress mounted a remarkable comeback in the third quarter, outscoring Canada 23-5. This decisive quarter turned the tide in favour of the Nigerian team, setting the stage for their historic win. Despite losing the fourth quarter 24-19, their third-quarter dominance ensured their place in the quarter-finals.
Ezinne Kalu, the team’s point guard and a three-time Afrobasket champion, was instrumental in the victory, leading the scoring with 21 points. Elizabeth Balogun stepped up with 14 points, 4 rebounds, and 3 assists.
“I am so proud of us. The last game wasn’t good for us and even in the first half today, we were not doing what we wanted to come out and do. We had a talk with ourselves and realized it was win or go home, and we decided we wanted to stay,” said Nigeria forward Amy Okonkwo.
.The victory over Canada means D’Tigress have won two of their three group games. They previously pulled off a major upset by defeating the third-ranked Australia in their opening game, before losing to host nation France in their second game.
Head coach, Rena Wakama has done an amazing job with her team showing resilience and determination to bounce back, especially after their loss to France.
D’Tigress will now face world number 1, USA as they continue their quest for Olympic glory.
