Africa’s prime girls’s basketball group, D’Tigress of Nigeria, arrived in France yesterday to a heat welcome and instantly kicked off their preparations with their first coaching session beneath coach Rena Wakama. The group is ready to compete within the FIBA Ladies’s World Cup Qualification event in Lyon-Villeurbanne.
Talking to NBBF media in regards to the group’s readiness to face a number of the world’s strongest basketball nations, a number of award-winning coach Rena Wakama expressed confidence and pleasure.
“Our preparations have been intense, and this event in Lyon is a vital a part of that course of. It offers us the possibility to check ourselves towards prime competitors and see the place we stand as a group. The gamers have proven nice dedication, self-discipline and starvation. I imagine we’re shifting in the correct path as we put together for the World Cup in Germany,” she mentioned.
The ultimate roster of 12 gamers combines expertise, youth, and power, creating what Wakama described as a balanced squad.
“What’s completely different this time is the steadiness we’ve. We have now a powerful core of skilled gamers who perceive the expectations and tradition of D’Tigress, and we’ve added youthful skills who convey recent power and competitiveness. Tactically, we’re enhancing with sooner transitions, stronger defensive communication, and higher group chemistry,” she added.
Acknowledging the excessive hopes of Nigerians at dwelling and overseas, Wakama emphasised that her gamers are prepared and proud to characterize their nation.
“With every thing occurring on the planet immediately, we’re grateful for the possibility to play the sport we love. These World Cup qualifiers are the one skilled girls’s basketball video games being performed and televised globally this week. Representing Nigeria is a large honour for each participant, and we need to make our supporters proud. They are going to see a group that fights for each possession, performs unselfish basketball, and by no means offers up. Our purpose is to compete strongly, showcase the expansion of Nigerian girls’s basketball, and proceed constructing the legacy of D’Tigress on the world stage,” she mentioned.
The reigning AfroBasket champions, who face a number of the world’s basketball giants, open their marketing campaign on Wednesday, 11 March 2026, towards Colombia. They are going to then face Korea, adopted by Philippines, event hosts France, and Germany—who will host the FIBA World Cup later this 12 months—from 14 to 17 March 2026, respectively.
