BY OSABUOHIEN VIVIAN ROSE
Nigeria’s D’Tigress are now 8th in FIBA Women’s World Rankings. The only African team in the global Top 10.
Nigeria’s female basketball team, D’Tigress have set a new record. The reigning African champions are now 8th place in the latest FIBA Women’s World Rankings, the only African team to have ever broken into the global top 10.
It’s a well-earned reward for a team that’s been rewriting history. They claimed their fifth consecutive FIBA Women’s AfroBasket title (and seventh overall), in July, proving once again that they rule African basketball. The win also made them secure a slot in the 2026 FIBA Women’s Basketball World Cup.
From their unforgettable run at the Paris 2024 Olympics, where they became the first African team to ever reach the quarter-finals, to back-to-back dominant performances in AfroBasket, D’Tigress have shown they can take on the best in the world and win.
With 640.1 points in the FIBA standings, they’ve moved ahead of basketball heavyweights Brazil and Serbia, locking in their place among the sport’s elite. USA still hold the top spot globally, but Nigeria is right there in the conversation — alongside Australia, France, China, and Belgium in the top 10.
Across Africa, Mali made an impressive leap to 18th after finishing as AfroBasket runners-up, while Senegal sit 25th, Mozambique 32nd, Cameroon 35th, and Egypt 43rd. And in one of the year’s most heartwarming stories, South Susan rocketed 31 places to 55th after winning bronze on their AfroBasket debut.
