D’Tigress suffered an 81-99 defeat to South Korea in their opening game of the 2026 FIBA Women’s Basketball World Cup in Berlin on Friday.
The Nigerian side remained competitive for much of the game but struggled to maintain their momentum in the final quarter, allowing South Korea to pull away and secure an 18-point victory.
South Korea started strongly, taking a 26-22 lead at the end of the opening quarter. D’Tigress responded in the second period, reducing the deficit and going into halftime just three points behind at 48-45.
The Koreans maintained their narrow advantage after the break, leading 68-62 at the end of the third quarter. However, D’Tigress could not match South Korea’s intensity in the final period as their opponents produced a decisive fourth-quarter performance.
Jihyun Park was South Korea’s leading scorer with 27 points, while Leeseul Kang caused significant problems from beyond the arc. She made six three-pointers as South Korea converted 11 of their 28 attempts from long range.
D’Tigress, meanwhile, struggled with their perimeter shooting, making just six of 20 three-point attempts. Nigeria also committed 23 turnovers, compared with only 10 by South Korea, giving the Koreans additional opportunities to control the contest.
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Captain Amy Okonkwo led D’Tigress in scoring with 20 points, while Murjanatu Musa dominated the boards with a game-high 13 rebounds.
Despite showing periods of resistance, D’Tigress were unable to produce a sustained comeback. South Korea capitalized on Nigeria’s mistakes through disciplined ball movement and accurate shooting, particularly from outside.
The defeat leaves coach Rena Wakama with several areas to address before Nigeria’s next Group B fixture. Ball security and defending against perimeter shooters will be among the key concerns for D’Tigress ahead of their second game.
They will face Hungary on Saturday at 1:15 pm, with Nigeria looking to bounce back from the opening-day defeat and strengthen their chances of progressing from Group B.
Nigeria qualified for the tournament after winning the 2025 Women’s Afro basket. They are competing in Group B alongside France, South Korea and Hungary. The 2026 FIBA Women’s Basketball World Cup is being hosted in Berlin and will run until September 13.
They reached the quarterfinals at the 2018 World Cup in Tenerife, Spain, and will be aiming to go further in this year’s competition despite their difficult start.
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