FIBA Women Basketball World Cup : D’Tigress suffer second World Cup defeat

Nigeria’s D’Tigress suffered their second consecutive defeat at the FIBA Women’s Basketball World Cup on Saturday, losing 71-67 to Hungary in a closely fought Group B encounter.

The result leaves the reigning African champions searching for answers after another frustrating outing in Berlin, with head coach Rena Wakama admitting that her side again struggled to find their rhythm early enough.

Nigeria created several opportunities but failed to capitalise consistently, particularly from the free-throw line, where they converted just 12 of 23 attempts.

Wakama said the team’s inability to put together a complete performance remained a major concern ahead of their final group game against France.

“It was another rough game. It’s tough when your shots aren’t falling,” Wakama said.

“I thought we got great looks in the first half, really, really good looks and we got to the free-throw line. But we finished the game shooting 12 of 23 from the free-throw line.

“We have a small margin of error with this group right now and where we are in our development, and we just weren’t able to get it done today.”

The coach, however, pointed to signs of improvement from Nigeria’s opening defeat, particularly in their ball security.

After committing almost 23 turnovers in their first game, D’Tigress reduced that figure to 11 against Hungary.

For Wakama, the improvement was encouraging, but not enough.

“We got better in both games. We got better literally from Game 1 to Game 2. Now it’s about putting a full game together,” she said.

“I felt like we didn’t really get flowing until the fourth quarter. We saw some life there, but my challenge for the team is just to start the game with that energy because it sets everything. Our starts haven’t been that great.”

Captain Amy Okonkwo also acknowledged that Hungary made life difficult for Nigeria, particularly with their dominance on the boards and ability to establish their rhythm.

“It was a tough game. Hungary played very well. They out-rebounded us by a lot, and they had their rhythm while we were trying to find ours,” Okonkwo said.

“I think we were able to find a little glimpse of it towards the end, but we weren’t able to come through with the win.”

D’Tigresses have also faced questions over the lack of the intensity and spark that characterised their memorable run at the previous World Cup.

But Okonkwo insisted that the fighting spirit remains within the team.

“I think the last two games have been a bit tough for us, but I still believe that we have the spark in us,” she said.

“I think it just needs to translate onto the floor. We need to find it within ourselves, stay connected and find that rhythm that we’ve been looking for over the past two games.

“I still think it’s in us. We still have another opportunity to get back on the floor and show a different face, so I believe that my team will do that.”

Wakama also praised Okonkwo for her leadership and commitment despite the difficult start to the tournament.

“Amy’s Amy. She’s my all-reliable, when she didn’t foul out in the last five minutes,” Wakama said with a smile.

“But no, huge credit to Amy. She cares a lot. I give her a lot, so I know it’s challenging and I know it’s frustrating, but we’re going to turn the corner.”

Nigeria’s next challenge will be against France, another formidable opponent, and Wakama knows her team must produce a more complete performance.

She acknowledged Hungary’s quality, with the European side shooting 51 per cent from the field and using their size to cause problems for Nigeria.

“They’re another really good team. They shot 51 per cent from the floor and they have great size, so they caused some issues for us,” Wakama said.

“But they’re playing super-connected basketball, and they stuck to their game plan.”

With the tournament moving into a decisive phase, D’Tigress will need to rediscover their defensive intensity, improve their rebounding and convert their opportunities at the free-throw line if they are to turn their fortunes around against France.

Wakama and her players may still have the spark but it must show from the opening tip.