Nigeria head coach Rena Wakama has finalised her 12-player D’Tigress squad for the 2026 FIBA Women’s Basketball World Cup, with captain Amy Okonkwo leading a group combining established international experience with emerging talent.
The reigning African champions will make their third appearance at the global tournament, having previously competed at the 2006 and 2018 editions. Their latest campaign will begin in Berlin, Germany, where the team arrived on Wednesday ahead of the competition, which runs from September 4 to 13.
Ezinne Kalu and Promise Amukamara are the only players in the selected squad who were also part of Nigeria’s team at the 2018 World Cup. Their inclusion means they are set to become the first Nigerian players to appear at two editions of the FIBA Women’s Basketball World Cup.
Nigeria have been drawn in Group B alongside Hungary, Korea Republic and France. Wakama’s team will open their campaign against Korea Republic at the Berlin Arena on Friday, September 4.
D’Tigress will face Hungary the following day at the Max-Schmeling-Halle before completing their group-stage schedule against France at the Berlin Arena on Monday, September 7.
The selected squad is Promise Amukamara, Jordan Obi, Elizabeth Balogun, Murjanatu Musa, Pallas Kunaiyi, Rita Igbokwe, Victoria Macaulay, Ezinne Kalu, Shay Ijiwoye, Nicole Enabosi, Amy Okonkwo and Grace Efosa.
Nigeria arrive at the tournament with a notable achievement from their previous World Cup appearance. At the 2018 edition in Spain, D’Tigress became the first African team to reach the quarter-finals of the competition.
That run remains a landmark moment in the history of African women’s basketball and provides the backdrop for Nigeria’s return to the world stage. Now captained by Okonkwo, the team will look to build on that performance while negotiating a demanding group featuring Hungary, Korea Republic and France.
The opening three fixtures will be played across two Berlin venues. Nigeria’s first and third matches, against Korea Republic and France, will take place at the Berlin Arena, while the meeting with Hungary is scheduled for the Max-Schmeling-Halle.
With the final roster now confirmed, Wakama’s squad can turn its full attention to the tournament. The 12-player group includes the experience of Kalu and Amukamara, who are preparing to make World Cup history, alongside the players selected for their first appearance at the competition.
D’Tigress’s campaign begins four days after their arrival in Berlin, as Nigeria start their Group B programme against Korea Republic on September 4. Their second match follows on September 5, with the group stage concluding against France on September 7.