D’Tigress suffered a second straight defeat on their United States tour after losing 88–79 to the Minnesota Lynx in a closely contested game at the T-Mobile Center in Kansas City.
Led by assistant coach Wani Muganguzi in the absence of Rena Wakama, the Nigerian side showed clear improvement from their opening loss, matching the Lynx across all four quarters.
Nigeria started brightly, with Ezinne Kalu leading the charge as D’Tigress narrowly trailed 27–26 after the first quarter. The contest remained tight heading into halftime, with Minnesota holding a slim 46–43 advantage.
The Lynx gradually pulled away in the third quarter and maintained their edge in the final period to secure the win in front of over 6,000 fans.
Kalu starred for Nigeria with 25 points, while Gabby White added 16 points. Pallas Kunaiyi-Akpanah contributed 11, with Uche Izoje adding eight in an improved team performance.
Despite outrebounding their opponents 36–25 and recording more steals, D’Tigress were undone by lower shooting efficiency and fewer assists compared to the Lynx.
Minnesota’s Courtney Williams led her side with 17 points, while strong bench contributions helped seal the victory.
The result leaves Nigeria with two losses from two games on the tour, but the team has shown encouraging progress with a youthful squad as part of preparations for the 2026 FIBA Women’s Basketball World Cup.
D’Tigress will conclude their tour against the Indiana Fever, as the coaching crew continues to build cohesion ahead of the global tournament.
