Nigeria’s senior women’s basketball team, D’Tigress, suffered a 77–60 defeat to South Korea in their second match of the 2026 FIBA Women’s World Cup Qualifying Tournament at the Astroballe Arena in Lyon, France, on Thursday.
After opening the tournament with a commanding 70–37 win over Colombia, the African champions struggled to maintain momentum against a disciplined Korean side that controlled key moments of the game.
Murjanatu Musa won the opening jump ball and scored Nigeria’s first points, but South Korea quickly took charge, finishing the first quarter 20–16 ahead. Both teams battled evenly in the second quarter, ending 16–16, leaving the Koreans with a slim 36–32 lead at halftime.
The visitors extended their advantage in the third quarter, outscoring D’Tigress 22–19, before dominating the final period with a 19–9 run to seal a 17-point victory.
Victoria Macaulay led Nigeria with 22 points and six rebounds, matching South Korea’s Jihyun Park, who also tallied 22 points along with six rebounds, four assists, and a steal. Leeseul Kang added 20 points and three assists for South Korea, while Jisu Park recorded 11 points, 10 rebounds, four assists, and four blocks.
Other D’Tigress contributors included Musa with 10 points, Promise Amukamara (5), Ezinne Kalu (7), Amy Okonkwo (3), Pallas Kunaiyi-Akpanah (2), and Elizabeth Balogun (1).
Nigeria will aim to recover from the loss when they face the Philippines on Saturday, with Friday serving as a rest day.
