France routs Nigeria’s D’Tigress as World Cup campaign ends winless

Nigeria’s D’Tigress ended their 2026 FIBA Women’s Basketball World Cup campaign with a heavy 56-111 defeat to France on Monday. The result left Nigeria winless after three Group B matches.

France, one of the tournament favorites, took control immediately and led 65-26 at halftime. Nigeria scored only 13 points in each of the first three quarters, while France put up 31 in the first, 34 in the second and 30 in the third.

Nigeria showed more resistance in the final quarter, scoring 17 points to France’s 16, but the late improvement could not change the result. Efosa-Aguebo led Nigeria with 15 points from 4-of-7 shooting in 20 minutes and 22 seconds off the bench. Balogun added 11, while Kalu and Macaulay scored six each. Igbokwe led the team with nine rebounds, and Okonkwo collected eight rebounds and three assists.

The loss followed Nigeria’s 81-99 defeat by South Korea and a narrow 67-71 loss to Hungary. Although the defeat by France was the heaviest, the earlier losses, especially the four-point defeat by Hungary after a late fourth-quarter rally, could prove more frustrating for the team.

France also set a tournament record by making 22 three-pointers in a single Women’s Basketball World Cup game since 1994, according to the match information. For Nigeria, three straight defeats represented its worst record in the competition’s history. The campaign now leaves the team facing a rebuild, with several experienced players potentially nearing the end of their international careers.