Nigeria’s D’Tigress women’s basketball team created history by defeating Australia, ranked third in the world, 75-62 to win their first Olympic gold in 20 years.
Nigeria was behind eight points in the first quarter of the D’Tigress vs. Australia basketball game earlier today, July 29, 2024 Paris Olympics. But the team led by coach Rena Wakama managed to turn things around, leading 41–28 at the break.
Although Australia made a strong comeback, narrowing the gap to just four points by the end of the third quarter, D’Tigress rose to the challenge and sealed a famous 75-62 victory.
Ezinne Kalu emerged as the standout player for Nigeria, showcasing an exceptional performance with 19 points, 5 rebounds, 5 assists, and 3 steals.
This significant win marked D’Tigress’s first Olympic victory in 20 years and set the stage for an exciting campaign at the Paris 2024 Olympics.
The last time the Nigerian basketball women’s team recorded a win at the Olympics was against South Korea at Athens 2004. It was an inconsequential game because the D’Tigress had already crashed out of the tournament before the match.
Coach Wakama and her girls, who are currently ranked 12th best women’s basketball team in the world, are scheduled to face hosts France before concluding their group-stage campaign against Canada on August 4th.