Nigeria’s senior women’s basketball team, D’Tigress, have climbed to 8th position in the latest FIBA Women’s World Ranking, strengthening their position as Africa’s highest-ranked team ahead of the upcoming FIBA Women’s Basketball World Cup qualifying play-offs.
The new ranking places Nigeria firmly among the top 10 women’s basketball teams in the world, underlining the team’s steady rise on the global stage in recent years.
With the latest update, D’Tigress remain the highest-ranked African team, maintaining a significant gap over other teams from the continent.
Sports analysts say the improvement reflects the team’s consistent dominance in Africa and increasingly competitive performances internationally.
Nigeria’s women’s national team has enjoyed a historic run in continental basketball, highlighted by their remarkable success at the FIBA Women’s AfroBasket tournament, where they have established themselves as the dominant force in Africa over the past decade.
Basketball observers say the ranking boost could provide additional momentum for the Nigerian side as they prepare for the World Cup qualifying play-offs, where teams will compete for places at the next edition of the global tournament.
A senior official familiar with the team’s preparations said the latest ranking reflects the squad’s progress and growing reputation in international basketball.
“The ranking is a testament to the hard work and consistency of the players and coaching crew. Remaining Africa’s number one while moving further up the global ladder shows the team’s continued growth,” the official said.
Globally, the ranking continues to be led by the United States women’s national basketball team, followed by the Australia women’s national basketball team and the France women’s national basketball team, while several European and Asian teams complete the top tier.
For Nigeria, the latest development further consolidates D’Tigress’ reputation as one of the most successful women’s basketball teams ever produced by the African continent.
As preparations intensify for the World Cup play-offs, expectations remain high that the Nigerian side can continue its upward trajectory and strengthen its standing among the world’s elite teams.
