Excitement is getting higher as the Nigerian national women’s team, D’Tigress, and the Nigeria Basketball Federation gear up for what will be one of the best basketball events ever held in Nigeria.
For the first time, the multiple award-winning D’Tigress will play on the national soil after winning five back-to-back Afrobasket championships spearheaded by Nigerian WNBA Coach Rena Wakama. The African champions will take on high-rising Togo and a yet to be named team in Abuja from July 18 to 20, 2025.
The current team is huge and seen as a bumper-pack Nigerian women’s team with several WNBA players as the team prepares to defend the title again.
As a part of the tournament in Nigeria, the players will help run women empowerment programmes in this home-coming rendezvous, even as they hold basketball camps for the up-and-coming stars in Abuja.
The event will be hosted at the prestigious Mo Arena Abuja. The games and activities will be live on Africa’s number satellite station, the SuperSport.
Mathew Ohio, the Chief Executive Officer of El Carnaval, was emotional when he spoke about this star event.
Ohio said, “After putting together a welcome party for D’Tigress in Paris at the Olympic Games, we felt it was necessary to promote and showcase the incredible talents of these wonderful ladies in Nigeria. We are excited to be a part of bringing home the best team in Africa.”
The NBBF’s Chairman of the Sponsorship Committee, Ugo Udezue, said it has always been the desire of the Federation’s President, Musa Kida, and the Board to create a fun atmosphere for the Nigerian fans to meet and greet with the players.
“The NBBF President mandated we make this event possible and bring our D’Tigress back home. This will be an exciting and fun atmosphere with a chance for fans to meet and interact with our players for the first time. We are grateful to our sponsors, and we continue to solicit more to make this event a beautiful one,” Ugo said.
D’Tigress International Tournament brings to the public that Nigeria’s dominance in women’s basketball is a testament to the strength, resilience, and excellence of the country’s female athletes. Over the years, D’Tigress have consistently proven themselves as the best team in Africa, winning four consecutive AfroBasket titles (2017, 2019, 2021, and 2023) and making history at the 2024 Paris Olympics by becoming the first African team to reach the quarterfinals, defeating top-ranked teams like Canada and Australia. These achievements highlight the team’s success and also serve as a source of inspiration and empowerment for women in sports across Nigeria and beyond.
This tournament is designed as a key preparatory event for D’Tigress ahead of the FIBA Women’s AfroBasket 2025, which will be held in Abidjan, Côte d’Ivoire, from July 24 to August 3, 2025. The tournament is offering an opportunity for high-level competition that will enhance the t
eams’ readiness.
