Nigeria’s D’Tigress have been placed in Pot 2 ahead of the draw for the 2026 FIBA Women’s Basketball World Cup, as they prepare to test themselves once again against the world’s elite.
The draw will take place on April 21 in Berlin, where the 16 qualified teams will be divided into four groups based on the FIBA Women’s World Ranking.
D’Tigress are seeded alongside China, Belgium and Spain in Pot 2, meaning they will avoid those sides in the group stage but are guaranteed to face one of the tournament’s top seeds.
Afrobasket dominance secures World Cup ticket
Nigeria sealed qualification for the tournament after winning the FIBA Women’s Afrobasket title for a record-extending fifth consecutive time in 2025.
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The victory confirmed D’Tigress as Africa’s dominant force and secured their place at the expanded 16-team World Cup in Germany.
It also extended their remarkable unbeaten run in continental competition and reinforced their status as one of the fastest-rising teams in global women’s basketball.
Familiar battles against global heavyweights
Despite being in Pot 2, D’Tigress are no strangers to facing the top teams in the world. At the Paris 2024 Olympics, Nigeria produced a historic campaign, becoming the first African team to reach the quarterfinals, highlighted by a landmark victory over Australia.
They later bowed out in the quarterfinals after a 74–88 defeat to the United States, who eventually went on to win the gold medal.
Nigeria also faced France during the Olympics, suffering a heavy defeat, underlining the gap they continue to close against Europe’s elite.
More recently, at last month’s FIBA Women’s World Cup Qualifying Tournament in Lyon, D’Tigress again came up against top opposition, losing narrowly 93–86 to France after mounting a strong second-half comeback.
They also fell to host nation Germany in their final game of the qualifiers, despite a competitive performance that saw them remain within touching distance for much of the contest.
Tough draw awaits in Berlin
With Pot 1 featuring host Germany, reigning champions USA, France and Australia, Nigeria are certain to be drawn against one of the tournament favourites.
FIBA’s draw rules also ensure that each group will contain only one African team, meaning D’Tigress will avoid fellow continental representatives Mali in the group phase.
Additional geographical restrictions limit each group to a maximum of two European teams and one team each from Africa, the Americas and Asia/Oceania.
Eyes on deeper World Cup run
The 2026 tournament, scheduled for September 4–13, will be the first to feature 16 teams, reflecting the growing profile of women’s basketball globally.
For D’Tigress, the challenge now is clear; translate their continental dominance into a deeper run on the world stage. Having already shown they can compete with the best, Nigeria will head into the draw with confidence that they can once again challenge the traditional powerhouses of the game.
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