D’Tigress unveil final 2026 FIBA W’Cup qualifying squad

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Nigeria’s senior women’s basketball team, D’Tigress, have unveiled their final 12-player squad for the upcoming FIBA Women’s Basketball World Cup Qualifying Tournament 2026, with the list confirmed by FIBA on Thursday, PUNCH Online reports.

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The squad, also announced on the team’s official social media platforms on Thursday, includes experienced campaigners such as Ezinne Kalu, Sarah Ogoke, Amy Okonkwo and Promise Amukamara, alongside other key players like Elizabeth Balogun, Nicole Enabosi, Victoria Macaulay, Murjanatu Musa, Pallas Kunayi-Akpanah, Rita Igbokwe, Ifunaya Okoro and Blessing Ejiofor.

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The seven-time African champions will compete in the qualifying tournament scheduled for March 11 to 17 in Lyon, France, where they are set to face Colombia on March 11, followed by games against South Korea on March 12, the Philippines on March 14, France on March 15, and Germany on March 17.

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The top three teams from the group will advance to the next stage.

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Having secured automatic qualification for the 2026 FIBA Women’s Basketball World Cup in Berlin by winning the 2025 Women’s AfroBasket, the D’Tigress will use the Lyon tournament to sharpen strategies and build team cohesion ahead of the global event.

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Alongside host Germany, Australia, Belgium and the USA have already qualified.

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Head coach Rena Wakama had earlier named a larger provisional roster before trimming the list to the final 12 ahead of the competition.

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In its first edition of the power rankings for the FIBA Women’s Basketball World Cup 2026, released on Thursday, FIBA placed Nigeria eighth in the world, based on the team’s recent achievements and the strength of its roster.

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The African champions don’t have to sweat on a ticket and will enjoy testing themselves ahead of Berlin when they could pose a threat.

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The form of Musa, who has impressed in EuroLeague Women and that the presence of experienced players like Kalu and Okonkwo could help Nigeria challenge France and Germany for a top-two finish in their group.

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Nigeria have previously appeared at the Women’s Basketball World Cup in 2006 in Brazil and again in 2018 in Spain, and will be aiming to build on those experiences when the tournament is held in Germany in September 2026.

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Following the qualifiers in France, the team is also scheduled to embark on a landmark tour of the United States in April, where they will face Minnesota Lynx in a historic preseason exhibition, becoming the first African national team to play a WNBA franchise as part of their preparations for the World Cup.

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