Nigeria’s women’s basketball team, D’Tigress, have climbed up to eighth in the latest FIBA Women’s World Rankings, released on Thursday, following another triumphant Afrobasket campaign, Bold Sports reports.
Fresh off clinching their fifth consecutive FIBA Women’s AfroBasket title, the African champions climbed three spots to eighth place, reclaiming a position in the world’s top 10. They remain the only African nation to have ever achieved that milestone.
Under the guidance of head coach Rena Wakama, D’Tigress dominated the continental tournament, sealing a 78–64 victory over Mali in the final. The win also booked their place at the 2026 FIBA Women’s Basketball World Cup in Berlin, Germany.
World champions USA maintain their grip on the number one spot after winning the FIBA Women’s AmeriCup, with Australia holding on to second following their gold medal at the 2025 FIBA Women’s Asia Cup. Hosts China remain in the top four after finishing third in the Asian championship.
More Read
EuroBasket winners Belgium climbed into the top five, while Spain slipped to sixth after falling to the Belgian Cats in one of the tournament’s most thrilling finals.
Canada, Brazil — runners-up at the Women’s AmeriCup — and Serbia complete the world’s top 10.
On the African front, Mali rose six places to 18th after finishing second at the AfroBasket, while South Sudan made the biggest leap of the rankings, surging 31 spots to 55th after a historic third-place finish at the continental tournament.
© Bold Sports Media. All rights reserved. If sharing, kindly credit Bold Sports as the source and include a link to the original post. Unauthorised use is prohibited.
