Lifestyle & Wellness DeskD’Tigress Clinch Fifth Consecutive Women’s Afrobasket Title
Nigeria’s women’s basketball team, D’Tigress, have been crowned champions of the 2025 FIBA Women’s Afrobasket after a commanding victory over Mali in the final match held on Sunday at the Palais des Sports de Treichville in Abidjan, Côte d’Ivoire.
The triumph marks a historic achievement for Nigeria, becoming the first country to win five consecutive Women’s Afrobasket titles. It also extends D’Tigress’ remarkable unbeaten run in the tournament to a full decade their last loss dating back to October 2, 2015, against Cameroon.
The championship game was a tightly contested affair in the first half. Mali edged ahead 26–21 in the opening quarter, but Nigeria rallied to tie the game at 41-41 by halftime. A dominant third-quarter performance saw D’Tigress pull away with a 61-56 lead, before tightening their defense in the final quarter to hold Mali to just eight points and secure a 14-point win.
The victory follows a tense semi-final battle with Senegal, where Nigeria needed a determined fourth-quarter surge to emerge victorious.
This latest win adds to the legacy of Head Coach Rena Wakama, who now boasts two Afrobasket titles in two appearances. Wakama made history in 2023 as the first woman to coach a team to Afrobasket glory, and she has once again guided D’Tigress to continental success.
