Nigeria's women's national basketball team, D'Tigress, has made history by winning its fifth consecutive FIBA Women's Afrobasket championship.
The team, coached by Rena Wakama, defeated Mali 78-64 in a hard-fought final at the Palais des Sports de Treichville on Sunday.
This victory extends D'Tigress's dominant unbeaten streak in Africa to 29 games, a run that began after the third-place game in the 2015 tournament. They are the first country to achieve the milestone of five straight titles.
The final was a test of resilience for D'Tigress, as they faced a strong challenge from Mali. After a slow start, the Nigerian team regrouped and managed to tie the game at 41-41 by halftime. Their dominance was evident in the second half, with key contributions from players like Amy Okonkwo, Ezinne Kalu, Promise Amukamara, and Victoria Macaulay, who led the team to a commanding 14-point victory.
The win caps a flawless tournament run for D'Tigress, which included earlier victories against Rwanda, Mozambique, Cameroon, and Senegal in the semi-finals.
In recognition of her outstanding performance throughout the championship, Amy Okonkwo was named the tournament's Most Valuable Player for the second time. She was also included in the list of the Top Five best players, alongside Delicia Washington (South Sudan), Sika Kone (Mali), Cierra Dillard (Senegal), and Jane Asinde (Uganda).
