D’Tigress head coach Rena Wakama says Nigeria’s reign over African women’s basketball is far from over following their record-extending seventh FIBA Women’s AfroBasket title in Abidjan.
D’Tigress defeated Mali 78–64 in Sunday’s final, sealing their fifth consecutive AfroBasket crown and a 29-game unbeaten run, while booking their place at the 2026 FIBA Women’s World Cup.
“We want to keep going,” Wakama said. “It’s hard to put a number on it, but hopefully for a long time.”
Despite only having six training sessions before their opening game, Wakama praised the team’s mental toughness.
“Other teams had months to prepare. We had just days—but we stayed mentally strong,” she noted.
The coach, now the first woman to win back-to-back AfroBasket titles, also credited her assistant Wani Muganguzi and emphasized shared values like faith, family, and women’s empowerment.
Tactically, Nigeria adjusted well to stop Mali’s fast transitions. Wakama highlighted Murjanatu Musa’s impact in protecting the paint:
“Musa struggled early, but she’s a warrior. I believed in her, and she delivered.”
As D’Tigress look ahead to the World Cup, Wakama says their mission is about more than basketball:
“We’re building a legacy. We play for something bigger than ourselves—our country.”
