We struggled to find our rhythm, Says Okonkwo, as Wakama Admits Rebuilding Challenge after D’Tigresses Defeat by France
Sports Correspondent
France handed African champions Nigeria their third consecutive defeat at the 2026 FIBA Women’s Basketball World Cup in Germany, cruising to a 111-56 victory to finish top of Group B.
The French side dominated from the opening tip at the Berlin Arena, combining a blistering shooting display with relentless tempo to leave the D’Tigresses struggling to establish any rhythm throughout the encounter.
France raced to a 31-11 lead in the opening quarter before adding 34 points in the second period to take a commanding 65-26 advantage into halftime.
The European side maintained its dominance after the interval, scoring another 30 points in the third quarter before easing off in the final period after the outcome had effectively been decided.
The victory further underlined France’s status as one of the leading contenders for the World Cup title, with the team setting a new tournament record by making 22 three-pointers.
The 22 triples surpassed France’s previous World Cup best of 15 against Hungary earlier in the tournament and Japan’s previous record of 20 three-pointers set on the opening day.
France were particularly devastating from long range in the first half, converting 14 three-pointers, with Gabby Williams and Marine Johannes accounting for eight of those makes from 11 attempts.
Their 65 points in the opening half also represented France’s highest first-half scoring total in a FIBA Women’s Basketball World Cup game.
Williams made further history by becoming the first French player to sink six three-pointers in a Women’s World Cup game.
For Nigeria, the heavy defeat brought a disappointing end to a difficult group-stage campaign and highlighted the rebuilding challenge facing the team following its historic performance at the 2024 Paris Olympics.
D’Tigresses captain Amy Okonkwo admitted that Nigeria struggled to settle into the contest against a highly experienced French team.
“It was a tough game. France is a great team. We saw that at the 2024 Olympics, and we’ve seen it throughout the qualifiers,” Okonkwo said.
“They’re a really great team, and they came out to play today. Again, I think we just struggled to find our rhythm early and weren’t able to get the win or really stop them.”
Head coach Rena Wakama said the current D’Tigresses are undergoing a rebuilding process and cannot depend on the achievements of the team that competed at the Paris Olympics.
“A lot of people saw what we did in 2024, and the reality of where we are today is that we’re in a rebuilding process,” Wakama said.
“I think connectivity is a big thing for myself, my team and my staff. Where we are today isn’t where we were two years ago.
“We can’t rely on the success we had two years ago. Who we are today, we’re still figuring that out, and I know we will.”
Wakama also acknowledged the competitive advantage enjoyed by France, noting that several of their players are regular WNBA starters and arrived at the tournament in strong competitive form.
“A lot of those players are in playoff shape. They play in the WNBA, and my players just weren’t there yet to be able to compete at the level that they were competing at,” she explained.
Despite the margin of defeat, the Nigerian coach said she was encouraged by the fighting spirit of her young players, many of whom were experiencing the World Cup stage for the first time.
“I’m most proud of our fight,” Wakama said.
“When you have a new team and I have so many young players, I think I have about five or six young players on this team who have never been at this stage before, some of whom just graduated from college.
“I was super proud of the fight, specifically today.”
She singled out Grace Efosa for praise after the youngster scored 15 points in about 20 minutes, while expressing confidence that other members of the emerging squad would develop into key players for Nigeria.
Wakama said preparations for the 2028 Los Angeles Olympics must begin with identifying and selecting the best available Nigerian talent.
“It starts, one, with just who we’re getting in the uniforms, right? Just making sure that I’m continuing to put the best talent that Nigeria has to offer in these uniforms,” she said.
The coach also commended the Nigeria Basketball Federation for its support but stressed that the team would need to improve its level of preparation if it is to return to the heights achieved in Paris.
“We had great preparation, but I think there’s another level that we have to get to in that preparation,” Wakama added.
Although Nigeria’s World Cup campaign ended on a disappointing note, Wakama said the continued growth of women’s basketball globally remains encouraging, particularly with players from the WNBA and other elite leagues increasingly bringing their quality to international competition.
“This is the best time to be a part of women’s basketball specifically,” she said.
(First Zeal Media)
