The Nigerian women’s basketball team, D’Tigress, began their pre-Olympic friendly series with a 77-63 loss to Germany on Friday in Berlin.
D’Tigress had a strong start, narrowly winning the first quarter 18-17. However, Germany answered back with a dominant second quarter, outscoring the African champions 23-13. This 23-point shift put D’Tigress behind 40-31 at halftime.
Under the guidance of Coach Rena Wakama, the team fought back, taking the third quarter 18-15. Yet, they couldn’t sustain the momentum, as Germany took control in the final period, winning it 24-14.
Although the result was a loss, these pre-Olympic friendlies offer crucial opportunities for D’Tigress to identify areas for improvement. Coach Wakama and her team will undoubtedly focus on refining their strategies before the Olympic opener.
D’Tigress will next face Serbia on 21 July, followed by a game against Japan three days later.
D’Tigress set for third Olympic appearance
The Nigerian team has competed in the Olympics twice: at the 2004 Athens Olympics and the 2020 Tokyo Olympics.
Their 2004 debut was followed by a 16-year break before they returned to the games in 2020.
At the Paris 2024 Olympics, D’Tigress will encounter a challenging Group B.
Their preliminary schedule includes games against Australia on 29 July, France on 1 August, and Canada on 4 August.
