By Gideon Maxwell
August 3, 2025
Nigeria’s women’s national basketball team, D’Tigress, wrote another golden chapter in African basketball on Sunday after defeating Senegal 78–64 in the finals of the 2025 FIBA Women’s AfroBasket Championship, held in Abidjan.
The victory marked their fifth consecutive continental title and seventh overall, consolidating nearly a decade of unbeaten dominance on the African stage.
Former Vice President, Prof. Yemi Osinbajo, in a celebratory message, hailed the team’s achievement as a testament to preparation, resilience, and national pride.
“In Abidjan, our @dtigressofficial did not simply show up to play. They arrived to remind the continent what happens when preparation meets purpose,” Osinbajo declared.
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“Five straight titles. Seven total. Nearly a decade unbeaten. This is not a streak. This is a standard.”
Osinbajo’s tribute to the stars
Osinbajo singled out the players for their brilliance, likening them to global basketball icons.
On Amy Okonkwo, he said: “She channeled Kobe – fearless, composed, and clinical when the court got loud.”
On Promise Amukamara: “She moved with Magic’s elegance. Always reading two plays ahead.”
On Nicole Enabosi: “She brought A’ja Wilson’s strength. Steady in the paint. Sure in her steps.”
On Pallas Kunaiyi-Akpannah: “She moved like Hakeem. Soft touch. Clean boards. Footwork like memory.”
On Elizabeth Balogun: “She did not just shoot. She cooked. Chef Curry with the shot boy. From deep. From corners. The net had no peace.”
On Ezinne Kalu: “She stayed cool. Played like Chris Paul. Vision. Grit. Always in charge.”
He praised the team’s mentality, describing them as “a team that studied the assignment, marked scheme of work, and still asked for extra credit. No panic. No flinching. Just that quiet Nigerian confidence we like to call no gree for anybody.”
Coach Rena Wakama’s historic feat
Osinbajo reserved special praise for Coach Rena Wakama, who has now etched her name in history as the first female coach to win back-to-back AfroBasket titles for Nigeria.
“Her playbook was a masterclass. Her timeouts? Swift, subtle, and somehow more effective than a halftime sermon,” he said.
“She switched defenses like Tunde Onakoya plays chess, not loudly, but deliberately. Quiet thinking. Loud results.”
He also highlighted Wakama’s fashion choices as a statement of identity and pride:
“All Made in Nigeria. Every blazer and sleeve said the same thing. Walk in who you are. You wear the flag before you lift it.”
Final score and continental message
The game ended with Nigeria overpowering Senegal 78–64, sealing their place as the most successful women’s basketball team in Africa and securing automatic qualification to the 2026 FIBA Women’s Basketball World Cup.
Osinbajo encapsulated the victory with poetic finality:
“Final score: 78 to 64. Final message: Nigeria is not attending history. We are writing it. In green. In white. In gold.”
Why the win matters
This victory carries weight beyond basketball. D’Tigress have become a symbol of Nigerian resilience and excellence, showing what is possible when talent meets structure. Their dominance, five straight AfroBasket titles, is unprecedented in African basketball history.
Osinbajo framed the team’s legacy in memorable words:
“This is not just a team. This is a thesis. We are D’Tigress. Five straight titles. Nearly ten years unbeaten. A tiger does not shout its tigritude. It pounces. D’Tigress no gree for anybody. Dem no just show face. Dem own the court.”
“We did not come to play. We came to reign.”
The road ahead
With their place secured at the 2026 FIBA Women’s Basketball World Cup, expectations are high that D’Tigress can translate their continental dominance into a strong global showing. Coach Wakama and her squad now face the task of preparing to compete against the world’s elite.
For Nigeria, however, the message from Abidjan is clear: the D’Tigress dynasty is not slowing down.
