Nigeria’s senior women’s basketball team, the D’Tigress, began their campaign at the FIBA Women’s Basketball World Cup 2026 qualifiers with an emphatic 70–37 victory over Colombia’s women’s national basketball team in France on Wednesday, according to BusinessNews.

The African champions took control of the game from start to finish, defending well and scoring easily, proving they’re a top team.

The Nigerian side took control early and dominated proceedings at the Astroballe Arena, leading for more than 33 minutes while restricting Colombia to just 37 points.

The turning point came late in the second quarter when Nigeria overturned a three-point deficit to level the score at 27–27 through baskets from Victoria Macaulay and Ifunanya Okoro.

Nicole Enabosi then converted a layup to give Nigeria a 28–27 lead before Pallas Kunaiyi-Akpanah produced a crucial defensive block that sparked the team’s momentum.

D'Tigress started strong, leading18-12 after the first quarter, and Colombia tried to catch up, but Nigeria stayed ahead, going into halftime 34-29 up.

After the break, Nigeria pulled away, and by the third quarter, they led 53-34, leaving Colombia far behind.

The final quarter was largely one-sided, with Nigeria dominating both offensive and defensive ends of the court.

They restricted Colombia to a mere three points in the quarter while adding 17 points themselves, sealing a convincing 33-point victory.

Nigeria led for over 33 minutes of the game, with their largest advantage reaching 34 points late in the fourth quarter.

Colombia's only lead in the contest was a brief three-point advantage early on.

Nigeria dominated thanks to strong performances from key players.Ifunanya Okoro scored 10 points with rebounds, assists, and steals in 28 minutes.

Nicole Enabosi grabbed 11 rebounds and added 10 points and five assists. Off the bench, Victoria Macaulay scored 13 points in just 14 minutes.

Colombia struggled to keep up, with Mabel Martinez leading their team with six points.

This victory marks a strong beginning for D'Tigress in the qualifying tournament.

Although Nigeria had already secured their spot at the 2026 FIBA Women's World Cup by winning their fifth consecutive AfroBasket title in 2025,the tournament in Lyon provides an invaluable opportunity for the team to refine their tactics and strategies in preparation for the global competition scheduled for September.