Nigeria’s senior women’s basketball team DTigress have officially unveiled their final 12 player squad for the upcoming FIBA Women’s Basketball World Cup Qualifying Tournament 2026. The squad list was confirmed by the International Basketball Federation on Thursday and also shared on the team’s official social media platforms.
The team includes several experienced stars who have played major roles in Nigeria’s dominance in African women’s basketball. Among the notable players selected are Ezinne Kalu, Sarah Ogoke, Amy Okonkwo and Promise Amukamara. Other players in the squad include Elizabeth Balogun, Nicole Enabosi, Victoria Macaulay, Murjanatu Musa, Pallas Kunayi Akpanah, Rita Igbokwe, Ifunaya Okoro and Blessing Ejiofor.
The seven time African champions will compete in the qualifying tournament scheduled to take place from March 11 to March 17 in Lyon, France. Nigeria will open their campaign against Colombia on March 11 before facing South Korea on March 12. They will then play the Philippines on March 14, France on March 15 and Germany on March 17. The top three teams from the group will move on to the next stage of the competition.
DTigress already secured automatic qualification for the 2026 FIBA Women’s Basketball World Cup in Berlin after winning the 2025 Women’s AfroBasket tournament. The qualifying event in France will therefore serve as an opportunity for the team to strengthen tactics and improve team chemistry ahead of the global championship.
Head coach Rena Wakama initially released a larger provisional squad before trimming the roster down to the final 12 players for the tournament.
Nigeria currently sits eighth in the first power rankings released for the 2026 Women’s Basketball World Cup, reflecting the team’s strong performances in recent international competitions.
After the qualifiers in France, the team will travel to the United States in April for a historic preseason exhibition match against the Minnesota Lynx, becoming the first African national team to face a WNBA franchise as part of preparations for the global tournament scheduled for September 2026.
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