Nigeria’s senior women’s basketball team, D’Tigress, aim to achieve another historic milestone at the 2024 Olympic Games as they face the United States in the women’s basketball quarterfinals today.
Under the leadership of Rena Wakama, D’Tigress has shone brightly in Paris, raising Nigeria’s medal hopes amidst underwhelming performances by other athletes representing the country.
The African champions face their toughest challenge yet against the Americans, who are pursuing their eighth Olympic gold medal in women’s basketball. Ending the United States’ 58-game winning streak and seven consecutive gold medal runs at the Bercy Arena would be one of the biggest upsets in sports history.
Having already exceeded expectations by reaching the quarterfinals—a feat no other African team has achieved—D’Tigress are confident they can advance to the semifinals.
D’Tigress captain, Amy Okonkwo, expressed confidence ahead of the game, saying, “You can do hard things. You can do anything that you set your mind to. It doesn’t matter where you’re born or where you come from. You can do it.”
Nigeria started their campaign with a stunning 75-54 victory against Australia, marking their first Olympic win in 20 years. They then faced a 75-54 defeat to France before securing an impressive 79-70 win over Canada in their final group game, making them the first African team (women or men) to reach the knockout round at the Olympics.
D’Tigress have accumulated 40 steals in three group games, five more than the next closest team. They will once again rely on star guard, Ezinne Kalu, who has been instrumental in the team’s success. The New Jersey-born point guard and three-time Afrobasket champion was the fifth-highest scorer over three games, averaging 19.3 points per game, while Promise Amukamara ranks third in assists per game at 6.7.
Today’s match marks the sixth encounter between D’Tigress and the US team, with the Americans winning all previous encounters. Their last meeting was in February 2024 during the FIBA Women’s Olympic Qualifying tournament in Belgium, where the US team won 100-46.
