Women’s AfroBasket: D’Tigress Begin 5-peat Pursuit, To Face Rwanda in Opener

The Nigerian women’s national basketball team, D’Tigress, will begin their pursuit of a historic fifth straight Women’s Afrobasket Championship on Saturday, July 26, 2025, against Rwanda at 3:30pm.

The Rena Wakama-led side were drawn in Group D alongside Rwanda and Mozambique and would have to get past the two nations to strengthen their resolve ahead of the historic chase to be the first team – male or female – to win five consecutive Afrobasket titles.

Rena Wakama, named the 2024 Paris Olympics Coach of the Year, will lead Nigeria at her second Women’s AfroBasket after getting gold – ultimately sealing the four-peat – in the first time of asking. She aims to become the first female coach to win two titles in the competition’s history.

The D’Tigress who got the better of Senegal in the previous edition, winning 84-74 in the final, have dominated the Women’s basketball scene in Africa for a decade, despite tumultuous paths. The Six-time women’s Afrobasket champions won in 2017 at Bamako, Mali, 2019 at Dakar, Senegal, 2021 at Yaounde, Cameroon, and 2023 at Kigali, Rwanda.

Since Nigeria’s 65-55 victory over Angola in the third-place game of the 2015 Women’s AfroBasket in Yaoundé, Cameroon, the team has remained undefeated.

In the following four editions of the tournament, Nigeria achieved an impressive winning streak of 24-0, securing four consecutive Women’s AfroBasket titles. Only Senegal has matched this record by winning as many consecutive titles.

The tournament will begin on Friday, July 25 and run till Sunday, August 3, 2025. Here’s Nigeria’s final 12-player roster:

Final Roster:

Amy Okonkwo (Captain)

Promise Amukamara

Ezinne Kalu

Elizabeth Balogun

Nicole Enabosi

Pallas Kunayi

Victoria Macaulay

Vera Ojenwa

Blessing Ejiofor

Ifunaya Okoro

Sarah Ogoke

Murjanatu Musa