Nigeria’s U-19 women’s basketball team, the Junior Tigress, made history on Saturday, July 12, 2025, claiming their first-ever win at the FIBA U19 Women’s Basketball World Cup with a stunning 93–88 victory over China in Switzerland.

Led by head coach Juliana Negedu Akhere, the Nigerian girls battled back from a halftime deficit to outscore China in a dominant second half, securing one of the tournament’s most surprising results so far.

Nora Ezike, on her national team debut, delivered a standout performance with 25 points, 6 rebounds, 4 assists, and 2 steals, inspiring her team to the historic win. “It’s an honour to represent my country, and it feels great to get this first win,” Ezike said after the game.

Nigeria’s performance evoked memories of D’Tigress’ Olympic run at Paris 2024, where the senior team made history by reaching the quarterfinals. Ezike admitted the team’s success had inspired her: “I went to Paris 2024 with my family. It was really great to see how far they went.”

Nigeria now sits in a strong position in Group B and will face Canada in their next match on Sunday, July 13, at 12:30 GMT.

The win is being hailed as a landmark moment for Nigerian basketball and a powerful sign of the rising talent in the women’s game across Africa.