posted August 05, 2024
Nigeria’s women’s basketball team, D’Tigress, made history on Sunday, August 4, by defeating Canada with a final score of 79-70 to advance to the quarterfinals at Paris 2024. This victory came after they won their first Olympic game since 2004, beating Australia 75-62 in their group play opening encounter on July 29.
Canada, finishing last in group B due to this loss, will not progress out of the group. Ezinne Kalu of Nigeria led in scoring with 21 points, while Shay Colley of Canada scored 17 points.
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The game began with both teams evenly matched, and Canada finished the first half with a four-point lead. However, in the second half, Nigeria surged into action, outscoring Canada 23-5 in the third quarter, including a 15-0 run, to open up an eight-point lead. By midway through the fourth quarter, Nigeria’s lead had expanded to 17 points, sealing Canada’s fate.
This victory was widely celebrated in Nigeria, and expectations are now higher as the team progresses to their first-ever Olympic quarter-final, where they will face the defending champions, the USA, on August 7.
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Rena Wakama, D’Tigress coach, highlighted that the team is fully charged and prepared for the upcoming matches, noting that Nigeria’s strong defense, which has been the team’s backbone, is poised to continue making the nation proud.
Throughout their group play, Nigeria has demonstrated formidable defense, forcing 69 turnovers, including 40 steals, in three games. This defensive prowess played a crucial role in their victories against Australia and Canada and even in their loss to France (75-54) on August 1, where they forced 17 turnovers and had nine steals.