Nigeria’s D’Tigress were outplayed by South Korea, falling 99-81 in their opening match of the 2026 FIBA Women’s World Cup at Berlin Arena on Friday, September 4, 2026.
The Koreans, led by a 27-point outing from Jihyun Park, set the tone early and never looked back.
South Korea grabbed a 26-22 lead after the first quarter and kept a narrow margin into halftime, with the score 48-45.
The Rena Wakama-led ladies fought back at times, but the visitors preserved their edge through the third quarter (68-62) and then pulled away in the fourth to seal an 18-point victory.
D’Tigress captain Amy Okonkwo finished strongly with 22 points, but turnovers and inconsistent support from the rest of the lineup undermined Nigeria’s comeback attempts.
The defeat leaves Nigeria searching for answers as the tournament continues.
The World Cup began on September 4 in Berlin, Germany, and is billed to run through September 13.
D’Tigress qualified for the FIBA World Cup after winning the women’s Afrobasket in late 2025.
Nigeria were earlier drawn in Group B alongside France, South Korea and Hungary.
The top team in each group will qualify automatically for the quarter-finals. The first and second runners-up in each group will proceed to the qualification round, and the winners will join the top four teams in the final eight
Nigeria will play Hungary next on Saturday.
The team will hope to surpass the quarter-final record they set in Tenerife, Spain, in 2018.
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