Nigeria's D'Tigress Ends Three-Game WNBA Tour with Losses to Indiana, Minnesota, and Los Angeles

Nigeria's women's national basketball team, known as D'Tigress, completed a three-game exhibition tour against WNBA teams, resulting in three losses. The tour aimed to assess the team's standing against top-level competition with less than two months until the 2026 FIBA Women's Basketball World Cup in Berlin.

ESPN reported that the games provided insights into the team's strengths and areas for improvement. The final game was a 105-57 loss to the Indiana Fever, led by Caitlin Clark. This followed defeats to the Los Angeles Sparks by a score of 89-63 and to the Minnesota Lynx by 88-79.

Attendance for the Indiana game was 10,051 fans.

Veterans on the team were the primary contributors across the games. Ezinne Kalu led scoring with 41 points over the tour, including 25 points against the Minnesota Lynx on 5-for-14 shooting and 12-for-14 from the free-throw line. Promise Amukamara provided consistent defense, recording four steals in the first game, the highest in any single game during the tour.

When key veterans performed well, such as in the game against the Lynx where two scored in double digits, the team lost by nine points. In contrast, restrictions on veterans' output, like Kalu scoring eight points against Indiana, contributed to larger margins.

ESPN noted that the veterans, many over 30, remained central to the roster.

The tour included about a dozen rookies from NCAA programs for their first international experience. Gabby White scored 23 points, grabbed nine rebounds, and added six assists over two games, with a 16-point, seven-rebound performance against the Lynx.

Lynx head coach Cheryl Reeve commented after the game that White was terrific and would be a strong player. Uche Izoje, a 6-foot-3 center, recorded eight points and seven rebounds against the Lynx, followed by 10 points and five rebounds against the Sparks.

She did not play in the Indiana game. Two other rookies, including a 7-foot-1 player noted as the tallest in NCAA women's basketball history, traveled with the team but did not see game time. The tour highlighted size as an area to address, with potential for rookies like Stephanie Okechukwu to contribute in the paint.

ESPN reported that players like White and Izoje may have secured roster spots for upcoming events.

Several key players were absent, including captain Amy Okonkwo, who was with the Dallas Wings on a training contract, and Murjanatu Musa, who had a strong season with Basket Landes in France's top league and EuroLeague Women. Musa averaged 8.2 rebounds per game, the second-highest in EuroLeague, and was named to the EuroLeague Women Second Team.

Head coach Rena Wakama missed the tour due to her role as assistant coach with the Chicago Sky during WNBA preseason. Assistant coach Wani Muganguzi led the team in her place. ESPN indicated that the absences, including Okonkwo and Musa, could have influenced outcomes, though victories were unlikely.

The 2026 FIBA Women's Basketball World Cup will be the next major test for D'Tigress. The WNBA and the World Cup will be broadcast on ESPN channels in Africa and on Disney+ in South Africa.