Nigeria’s D’Tigress staged an impressive comeback to defeat the Philippines 101-84 in their third game of the qualifying tournament for the 2026 FIBA Women’s World Cup.
Playing at Astroballe in France on Saturday, Rena Wakama’s side showed resilience after a slow start. The Philippines edged the first quarter 26-21 and extended their lead to 51-42 by halftime.
However, D’Tigress turned the game around in the third quarter, erupting for 34 points to take a 76-72 lead. They carried that momentum into the final period, outscoring their opponents to secure a dominant 17-point victory.
The win follows a mixed run in the tournament so far. Nigeria opened the qualifiers with a commanding 33-point win over Colombia on Wednesday, but suffered a 77-60 loss to South Korea in their second outing.
Despite already securing a spot in the World Cup by winning the Women’s Afrobasket in late 2025, the team is using the qualifiers to gain valuable preparation and improve their ranking.
D’Tigress are one of five teams to have earned automatic qualification for the World Cup. Germany qualified as hosts, while Belgium, the United States, and Australia also booked their places by winning their respective continental championships.
Nigeria will face France in their next game on Sunday.
