Nigeria's female basketball team needs to take lessons from defeat to South Korea, according to Wakama

Rena Wakama, Head Coach of Nigeria's women's basketball team, D'Tigress, is calling on her players to swiftly put their loss to South Korea behind them and focus on the next challenge.

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The team suffered a 77-60 defeat at the hands of the Asian side on Thursday, marking the first time Nigeria's senior women's basketball team has lost to South Korea, according to reports.

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Nigeria managed to keep the contest close in the first two quarters, trailing by just four points at 36-32, but failed to sustain their momentum in the third and fourth quarters, ultimately conceding the game.

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Victoria Macaulay was the standout player for Nigeria, scoring 22 points and grabbing six rebounds, building on her impressive Most Valuable Player performance in the opening game against Colombia.

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Wakama emphasized the need for her team to regroup and improve ahead of their next game against the Philippines at the FIBA Women's World Cup Qualifying Tournament in Lyon, France.

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The defeat, she noted, offered valuable lessons, and she praised the Korean side for their strong display, saying "Korea is a great team" that exposed Nigeria's struggles with shooting and turnovers.

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Wakama observed that her team's mentality remains strong, and they will not overreact to the loss, instead choosing to learn from it and prepare more effectively for the next game.

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The Koreans, Wakama noted, applied intense physical pressure, disrupted Nigeria's passing lanes, and effectively double-teamed key players, earning her admiration for their defensive strategy.

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South Korea is seeking to secure one of the two available World Cup tickets in the round-robin qualifying tournament, while Nigeria and Germany have already qualified for the FIBA Women's World Cup scheduled for September in Berlin, Germany.

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Both Nigeria and Germany are participating in the qualifiers primarily as part of their preparations for the global tournament, which is being held simultaneously in four countries: France, Turkey, Puerto Rico, and China.

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The qualifying tournament features teams competing across the venues for the remaining slots at the FIBA Women's World Cup, with D'Tigress set to face the Philippines on Saturday before their final matches against France and Germany.