DTigress, Nigeria’s women’s basketball team, has qualified for the 2023 Afro Basket Women’s Championship quarterfinals.
The 2021 FIBA Women’s AfroBasket Champions, defeated arch-rivals Egypt 83 – 65 at the BK Arena, Kigali, Rwanda.
D’Tigress led 18-10 in the first quarter and extended their lead to 42-23 in the second quarter to the end of the first half.
Egypt took the third quarter 19-14 before D’Tigress wrapped up the encounter 27-23.
26-year-old Amy Nnenna Okonkwo was the stand-out performer in the game, recording 25 points, 12 rebounds and four assists.
The Nigerian-American basketball player for Saint-Amand Hainaut Basket in the Ligue Féminine de Basketball wore a protective mask throughout the game.
Queen John-Moseph, a famous basketball writer, praised Coach Rena Wakama for leading the Nigerian team to victory.
She wrote on Twitter:
“Take your flowers, Coach Rena; limited time to prepare, but you have picked two wins from 2 games. All the best in the Quarters.”
The Nigerian coach is the only female trainer in the ongoing competition.
The Nigerian women’s basketball team has won the last three editions of the AfroBasket tournament — claiming the continental title five times.
There are high hopes back home that they would win the ongoing competition, due to the quality of players in the team.