Nigeria’s women’s basketball team, D’Tigress, will need to overcome familiar and formidable opposition at the 2026 FIBA Women’s Basketball World Cup after being drawn into Group B alongside France, South Korea, and Hungary during the official draw held in Berlin on Tuesday, 22 April 2026.
France, ranked second in the world, are widely regarded as strong favourites to finish top of the group and bring one of the most talented rosters in international women’s basketball to the tournament. The draw sets up a stern early examination for coach Rena Wakama’s side before the competition has even begun.
Nigeria currently sit eighth in the FIBA world rankings, and the group draw carries added significance given the team’s recent history against two of their opponents. D’Tigress suffered defeats to both France and South Korea during the qualification phase earlier in 2026, making the rematch on the world stage all the more consequential.
Nigeria secured their place at the tournament by claiming the 2025 FIBA Women’s AfroBasket title — their fifth consecutive continental championship, a record-breaking achievement that underlines their dominance in African women’s basketball. Translating that regional consistency into deep runs at the global level, however, remains an ongoing challenge for the programme.
Elsewhere in the draw, tournament hosts Germany were placed in Group A alongside Japan, Spain, and Mali. Group C brings together Belgium, Australia, Puerto Rico, and Turkey, while defending champions the United States headline Group D, joined by China, Czech Republic, and Italy.
The 2026 FIBA Women’s World Cup is scheduled to be held in Berlin, Germany, from 4 September to 13 September 2026. As hosts, Germany will carry the expectations of a home crowd, while the United States enter as the team to beat having previously dominated the competition across multiple editions.
For D’Tigress, the path out of Group B will demand significant improvement on their recent performances against French and South Korean opposition. A top finish in the group — or at minimum a competitive showing — would represent a major step forward for African women’s basketball on the global stage.
