African champions Nigeria women’s national basketball team, popularly known as D’Tigress, suffered a 77–60 defeat to South Korea women’s national basketball team in their second outing at the 2026 FIBA Women’s Basketball World Cup Qualifying Tournament in Lyon, France, on Thursday.
The encounter, played at the Astroballe Arena, saw the Nigerian side struggle to contain South Korea’s impressive long-range shooting throughout the contest.
Head coach Rena Wakama retained the same starting lineup that secured victory over Colombia in the opening game.
Amy Okonkwo, Elizabeth Balogun, Promise Amukamara, Murjanatu Musa and Ezinne Kalu were again handed starting roles as Nigeria looked to maintain their momentum in the qualifying series.
South Korea began the game with greater attacking efficiency, particularly from beyond the arc, which helped them edge the first quarter 20–16.
Nigeria tried to keep pace but found it difficult to limit the visitors’ perimeter shooting.
The second quarter proved more balanced as both teams matched each other offensively, scoring 16 points apiece.
Despite the even period, South Korea still held a slim 36–32 advantage heading into halftime.
Victoria Macaulay emerged as Nigeria’s brightest spark in the first half, contributing 15 of the team’s 32 points before the break.
Amy Okonkwo and Ezinne Kalu also chipped in with three points each as D’Tigress attempted to close the gap.
South Korea increased their lead after the restart, outscoring Nigeria 22–19 in the third quarter to extend their advantage to 58–51 heading into the final period.
Nigeria’s offensive struggles became more evident in the fourth quarter, where they managed just nine points while South Korea continued to find their rhythm to seal a convincing 77–60 win.
Macaulay finished as Nigeria’s top performer with an outstanding display of 22 points and six rebounds in 26 minutes.
She shot 8-of-13 from the field and converted all three of her attempts from beyond the three-point line.
Her tally also set a new personal benchmark for the most points scored by a Nigerian player in a single game at the Women’s World Cup qualifying tournament.
Murjanatu Musa also made a notable contribution with 10 points and three rebounds.
For South Korea, Jihyun Park delivered a game-high 22 points on 8-of-13 shooting, including three successful attempts from long distance.
She also recorded six rebounds and four assists. Leeseul Kang provided strong support with 20 points, knocking down five three-pointers.
Although Nigeria dominated the boards with a 39–31 rebounding advantage, their 18 turnovers and inability to contain South Korea’s perimeter accuracy proved decisive.
The Asian side connected on 11 three-pointers and registered an impressive 29 assists during the game.
D’Tigress will now shift focus to their next fixture against Philippines women’s national basketball team on March 14, as they aim to bounce back and strengthen their chances in the qualifying tournament.
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