Nigeria’s women’s basketball team, the D’Tigress, saw their remarkable Olympic journey come to an end on Wednesday as they were defeated by the defending champions and world No. 1, the United States, with a score of 88–74 in the quarter-finals.
The Americans were further boosted with the presence of basketball great LeBron James as well as Miami Heat star Bam Adebayo and Devin Booker of the Phoenix Suns.
Despite a promising start that saw the D’Tigress keep pace in the first quarter, trailing by just nine points at 26-17, the US team asserted their dominance in the second quarter, outscoring Nigeria 26-16 to take a commanding 19-point lead into halftime at 52-33.
The Americans continued their dominance in the third quarter, outscoring the D’Tigress 24-15. Nigeria displayed resilience in the final period, outperforming the US 26-12, but it was too late as they ultimately fell short with a final score of 88-74.
Three Nigerian players reached double figures. Promise Amukamara led the team with 19 points, adding two assists and three steals. Amy Okonkwo stepped up in the second half, contributing 17 points, seven rebounds, and two assists. Ezinne Kalu, Nigeria’s standout player in the tournament, dished out a game-high seven assists, 16 points and grabbed two rebounds.
For the United States, A’ja Wilson dominated with a game-high 20 points and 11 rebounds, while also contributing two assists. Jackie Young scored 15 points, Breanna Stewart added 13, and center Brittney Griner chipped in with 11 points.
