Nigeria’s D’Tigress ended their 2026 FIBA Women’s Basketball World Cup campaign with a heavy 111-56 defeat by France in their final Group B match on Monday.
The result was Nigeria’s third successive loss in the group stage, following earlier defeats by South Korea and Hungary. France, who had already secured top spot and qualified for the quarter-finals after beating both Hungary and South Korea, dominated from the opening minutes.
Nigeria were unable to match France’s intensity or scoring power, registering only 13 points in each of the first three quarters. Their scoring sequence was 13-13-13-17, while France produced 31-34-30-16 across the four periods.
The French side established control early and led 65-26 at half-time. That total represented a team record for points scored in one half in official competition, underlining the scale of their dominance.
France also set a World Cup record by making 22 three-pointers in a single game. Their shooting accuracy and attacking depth left Nigeria struggling to stay in contention, with the gap continuing to widen after the interval.
Gabby Williams led France with 25 points, the highest total of her international career in a France jersey. Janelle Salaun added 19 points, while Marine Johannes contributed 17.
Grace Efosa-Aguebor was Nigeria’s leading scorer with 15 points, but D’Tigress could not generate enough offensive production to challenge the European side.
The defeat brings a disappointing conclusion to Nigeria’s group-stage campaign. The African champions struggled offensively throughout the tournament, and the 55-point margin reflected the difference in performance between them and France, who are the reigning silver medallists from the previous World Cup.
France now turn their attention to the quarter-finals, while Nigeria’s competition comes to an end after three defeats in Group B.
The loss follows a difficult run for D’Tigress, who had hoped to build on their status as African champions on the world stage. Instead, defeats by South Korea, Hungary and France left them at the bottom of a group in which France had already done enough to guarantee progress before the final round of matches.
The result also comes after attention around Nigeria’s wider women’s basketball programme, with the Nigeria Sports Commission having recently saluted the junior D’Tigress for qualifying for the FIBA Under-19 Women’s Basketball World Cup.
By James Agberebi
James Agberebi is a sports content creator and analyst who has covered international matches involving both Nigeria’s men’s and women’s national teams.