Nigeria’s women’s national basketball team, also known as D’Tigress trounced the Opals of Australia in their first match at the 2024 Paris Olympics. The team delivered a spirited performance to beat the Australians 75-62 at the Pierre Mauroy Stadium on Monday.
Led by Rena Wakama, the victory marked the team’s first win in an Olympic match since Athens 2004, where they defeated South Korea in an inconsequential classification game after being eliminated.
In the competition’s power rankings, the Australians were ranked third, while Nigeria was 12th. However, the D’Tigress dominated the Australians from the outset, with Amy Okonkwo, Ezinne Kalu, and Murjanatu Musa hitting loose balls and shooting with superior ease.
At the end of the first quarter, Nigeria led 18-17 and extended their lead to 41-28 by half-time. Murjanatu’s blocks and steals kept the turnovers coming for Nigeria, while Kalu confidently sank three-point shots. Although the Opals rallied in the third quarter and early minutes of the fourth, D’Tigress held on for a historic victory.
On Thursday, the team will face France in their second game of Group B.