Nigeria’s senior women’s basketball team, D’Tigress, commenced their campaign at the 2026 FIBA Women’s Basketball World Cup Qualifying Tournament with a statement victory, dismantling Colombia 70–37 on Wednesday at the Astroballe Arena.
While the African champions have already secured their spot for the 2026 World Cup in Berlin, their performance in Lyon proved they aren’t just there to make up the numbers. The highlight of the evening was a masterclass in efficiency from veteran center Victoria Macaulay, whose clinical performance off the bench earned her the Player of the Game honors.
Below are Macaulay’s stats that earned her the player of the game:
Off the bench versus Colombia Macaulay earned:
13 points
6 rebounds
5 made field goals out of 6 attempts
3 made free throws out of 3 attempts.
It is also important to note that Macaulay played only 14 minutes and her ability to dominate the paint in limited minutes allowed Coach Rena Wakama to rotate the squad effectively while maintaining a double-digit lead throughout the second half.
The match began as a competitive encounter. Colombia, ranked 19th in the world, showed resilience in the early stages, trailing by only five points at halftime with the score at 34–29.
However, the second half belonged entirely to Nigeria. D’Tigress unleashed a defensive masterclass, holding Colombia to a staggering 8 points total across the final two quarters (5 in the third and 3 in the fourth).
The win extends Nigeria’s competitive winning streak to six games. Coach Wakama noted that these qualifiers are vital for “improving global rankings and fine-tuning chemistry” before the main event in Germany.
D’Tigress will return to the court tomorrow, Thursday, March 12, to face South Korea in their second group game.
