FIBA World Cup 2026: D’Tigress eliminated after 111-56 loss to France

The D’Tigress were eliminated from the FIBA Women’s World Cup 2026 following a 111-56 defeat against France on Monday, 7 September in Berlin. Nigeria thus finishes the group stage without a win, ending in last place in Group B.

The French quickly took control of the game, winning the first quarter 31-13, before extending their lead before halftime. At the break, the gap was already 39 points, and France further increased the margin in the third quarter to secure their victory.

The match was also marked by a tournament record: France made 22 three-pointers, setting a new high in the history of the Women’s World Cup. Gabby Williams finished as France’s top scorer with 25 points, in a game where the French team showed significantly greater offensive efficiency.

For Nigeria, this loss concludes a difficult campaign. The D’Tigress had already been defeated by South Korea 99-81 and Hungary 71-67. Three losses in three games prevent them from advancing to the next stage, despite their status as a leading force in African women’s basketball.

A World Cup without a win after the momentum from Paris

This elimination contrasts with the momentum built during the Paris 2024 Olympic Games, where Nigeria had achieved a resounding victory over Australia before becoming the first African team, male or female, to reach the quarterfinals of an Olympic basketball tournament.

In Berlin, the Nigerian team was unable to maintain that consistency. Against France, they were limited to 28% shooting accuracy, compared to 58% for their opponents. The gap from long range was even wider, with the French converting their volume of outside shots into a decisive advantage.

However, the African record in the tournament remains more mixed. A few days earlier, Mali created one of the tournament’s biggest surprises by defeating Spain, proving that teams from the continent continue to improve their competitiveness against the major basketball nations.

For the D’Tigress, the next step will be to learn from this campaign and rebuild around a group that remains dominant at the African level. The loss to France especially highlights the remaining gap in bench depth, outside shooting accuracy, and consistency over four quarters against the world’s best teams.