Nigeria’s D’Tigress will look to bounce back from their opening defeat to South Korea when they face Hungary on Saturday in their second Group B game at the 2026 FIBA Women’s Basketball World Cup in Berlin.
The reigning African champions began their campaign on a disappointing note after losing 99-81 to South Korea on Friday, despite remaining competitive for large spells of the contest.
Rena Wakama’s side trailed 26-22 after the opening quarter before reducing the deficit to three points, 48-45, at half-time.
South Korea extended its advantage to 68-62 heading into the final quarter, then pulled away in the closing stages to secure an 18-point victory.
D’Tigress’ inability to protect possession proved costly, with Nigeria committing 23 turnovers compared with South Korea’s 10.
The Koreans also proved more effective from beyond the arc, converting 11 of their 28 three-point attempts as they punished Nigeria during their late surge.
For D’Tigress, the immediate focus is now on Hungary, with victory crucial to keeping their hopes of progressing from Group B on course.
Nigeria will need to improve their ball security and shooting efficiency while producing a stronger defensive performance against the Hungarians.
The defeat to South Korea was Nigeria’s first major setback of the tournament, but the African champions remain capable of responding strongly given their recent dominance on the continent.
D’Tigress entered the World Cup as reigning African champions after winning a fifth consecutive FIBA Women’s AfroBasket title in 2025.
Nigeria’s best-ever finish at the FIBA Women’s Basketball World Cup came in 2018, when they reached the quarter-finals.
With little margin for error in the group stage, Wakama’s team will be determined to put the South Korea defeat behind them and secure a much-needed victory against Hungary.