Nigeria’s remarkable performance in the women’s basketball competition in Paris 2024 has been attributed to their formidable defense and the guidance of their youthful coach.
After defeating Canada in their last group match on Sunday, the D’Tigress team became the first African team—male or female—to advance to the Olympic quarterfinals.
The West Africans won their first Olympic competition in 2004 in Athens, but they had to wait 20 years to win again.
Now, the task is to build on their achievements.
A member of the 2004 team, Mfon Udoka, told BBC Sport Africa, “I’m really proud of them for putting Nigeria on the map again after 20 years.”
“All I’m hoping for is that it doesn’t take another 20 years to see the same success.”
However, the squad has had to show plenty of resilience off the court to get to this stage.
Nigeria, the dominant side in the women’s game, has been a force to be reckoned with since the turn of the millennium.
However, their success has been hindered by disputes over bonus payments and allowances, as well as governance issues within the national federation. However, their triumphant return to AfroBasket in 2023 has set up their recent renaissance. The team’s resilience and hunger to make a name have made an impact, with Rena Wakama, the 32-year-old head coach, winning AfroBasket last year and securing qualification for the Olympics in February.
Nigeria’s defensive game has caught the eye, particularly their ability to pressurize opponents. Their opening 75-62 win over Australia, led by D’Tigress, was evident in their aggressive nature of the African game. Guard Balogun believes it is “a lifestyle” for the side, and she hopes her journey will inspire people across the continent to go after their dreams and help grow the women’s game.
Nigeria’s point guard Ezinne Kalu has shown her strength, averaging 19.3 points per game and scoring 21 points against Canada. Guard Promise Amukamara leads the team in assists, averaging 6.7 per game, while forward Murjanatu Musa has been crucial defensively with an average of 6.7 rebounds per game.
D’Tigress now faces their toughest challenge yet, the United States, the defending champions. America’s women have won the past seven Olympic tournaments and are chasing their 10th gold overall. With WNBA superstar A’ja Wilson, veterans Breanna Stewart, and Jackie Young on their roster, Nigeria seemingly have their work cut out.
The encounter is the second Olympic meeting between the two teams, after the US won their clash at the Tokyo Games three years ago and D’Tigress suffered a 100-46 thrashing in February’s qualifying tournament. John-Moseph believes the girls have fought hard to come this far, and D’Tigress have already done much of the hard work over the last few years.
(BBC)
