Nigeria’s D’Tigress have maintained their place among the world’s elite, ranked 8th in the latest FIBA Women’s World Rankings.
The ranking, released on Friday, saw the reigning African champions amass with 700.3 points.
The latest ranking following the conclusion of the FIBA Women’s Basketball World Cup 2026 Qualifying Tournaments, keeps Nigeria as the highest-ranked team in Africa and the only African side in the global top 10.
D’Tigress were active during the qualifying window, recording a mix of results against top opposition. They opened with a dominant 70–37 victory over Colombia, before losing 77–60 to South Korea. Nigeria responded with a 101–84 win against the Philippines, but fell short in their final games, losing 93–86 to France and 81–73 to Germany.
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Germany’s performance during the qualifiers saw them move up to 11th place, just outside the top 10.
At the top of the rankings, the United States retained first place after an unbeaten run in San Juan. France moved up to second, overtaking Australia, who dropped to third.
China (fourth) and Belgium (fifth) both held their positions, with Belgium closing the gap on China after a strong qualifying campaign.
Spain remain sixth, while Canada stay seventh, with both teams unchanged in the latest update.
Nigeria hold eighth place, while Brazil remain nineth.
Japan moved up one place to 10th, returning to the top 10 after securing qualification for the 2026 World Cup.
On the African rankings, Mali (18th) are the next highest-ranked team behind Nigeria, while Senegal (22nd) improved their position following their qualifying performances. Mozambique (34th) and Cameroon (37th) are also ranked among the continent’s top teams.
The updated rankings will be used to determine seedings for the FIBA Women’s Basketball World Cup 2026 draw, scheduled for April 21.
Nigeria will now continue preparations for the tournament in Berlin, where they are expected to compete among the top-ranked teams.
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