D'Tigress coach Wakama to rejoin team ahead of FIBA World Cup after poor warm-up run
Nigeria's D'Tigress women's basketball team is in Zaragoza, Spain for final preparations ahead of the 2026 FIBA Women's World Cup in Germany (September 4-13), with head coach Rena Wakama expected to rejoin soon after balancing her WNBA duties with Chicago Sky. The team has won just 1 of 5 warm-up games: losses to China (70-67, 69-65), Spain (83-58 on Aug 21), and Belgium (90-55 on Aug 22), with only one win against China (88-77 on Aug 12).
Despite the difficult warm-up, D'Tigress enter as reigning African champions after winning their fifth consecutive AfroBasket title in 2025. They made history at Paris 2024 as the first African team to reach Olympic basketball quarterfinals. This will be their third World Cup appearance, following quarterfinal finishes in 2018 and 2022. Wakama continues to serve as both Nigeria's head coach and an assistant coach for the Chicago WNBA team.
The team's preparation included a Chicago training camp (July 29-August 2), China exhibition series, and now Spain preparations. While the 1-4 warm-up record raises concerns, their continental dominance and Olympic pedigree suggest potential for another strong World Cup showing. Wakama's dual role highlights growing Nigerian basketball talent globally.
With Wakama set to rejoin and the World Cup less than two weeks away, what realistic expectations should Nigerian basketball fans have for D'Tigress' performance in Germany given their recent struggles but strong pedigree as African champions and Olympic quarterfinalists?