Nigeria’s female basketball team, D’Tigress, pulled off a sensational performance to record their first Olympic win in 20 years, with a 75-62 win over favourites Australia, in their first Group match in Lille, France.
D Tigress’s stunning victory over the world number three team was highlighted by a brilliant performance by Ezinne Kalu who claimed 9 points, 5 rebounds, and 5 assists in the match.
The historic win was Nigeria’s first at the Olympic Games since Athens 2004.
It was also a satisfying victory for D’Tigress’ 32-year-old coach Rena Wakama, who took over the helms in June 2023, a month before the Women’s Afrobasket tournament in Rwanda.
It proved to be a masterstroke, as Wakama led the Nigerian female basketball team to the Women’s Afrobasket title, making history as the first female coach to win the tournament since its inception in 1966.
After the famous Olympics win, Kalu, who returned to the national team after a three-year gap, said the defence of the Nigerian team, ranked 12th, was ‘relentless.’
“When we are on the court, we smell blood. Nobody defends quite like us and that is what keeps us going. Australia came out in the second half with their veterans and an amazing coach who knows what she’s doing, but we kept our foot on the gas and kept on going.
“This really means a lot for our country. Today we made a statement that we are not going to give up and no matter what country we play, we are going to play our basketball,” an elated Kalu said after the match.
Similarly, Kalu’s teammate, forward Amy Okonkwo said, “It feels so good. We stuck together and we came together in adversity. This is what it is all about – you fight.”
Australian Opals, forward, Alanna Smith, said their team lacked a bit of physicality during the game, while her teammate Sandy Brondello said, ‘We didn’t play Opals’ basketball and we weren’t aggressive defensively. We have to be better. We have to find a way.”
D’Tigress will play hosts France in their next group game.
