Nigeria Show Improvement Despite Second Straight Loss as Young Squad Gains Valuable Experience Against WNBA Side

D’Tigress, Nigeria’s women’s national basketball team, have recorded a second consecutive defeat on their United States tour.

The team fell 88–79 to the Minnesota Lynx in a competitive encounter at the T-Mobile Center in Kansas City.

The defeat came under assistant coach Wani Muganguzi, in the absence of head coach Rena Wakama, who is reportedly on WNBA duty with the Chicago Sky.

Although defeated, the Nigerian side showed clear improvement from their opening 89–63 loss to the Los Angeles Sparks, pushing the Lynx closely across all four quarters.

D’Tigress started strongly, with the quintet of Promise Amukamara, Ezinne Kalu, Suzie Rafiu, Uche Izoje, and Pallas Kunaiyi-Akpanah matching the pace of their opponents. The first quarter ended narrowly 27–26 in favour of Minnesota.

The contest remained tight in the second quarter, with the Lynx edging it 19–17 to take a 46–43 lead into halftime. Minnesota, however, gradually asserted control in the third quarter with a 21–16 advantage.

The Lynx maintained their edge in the final quarter, outscoring Nigeria 21–20 to seal a nine-point victory.

Ezinne Kalu led Nigeria’s scoring with 25 points in an impressive offensive display, while Gabby White added 16 points and continued to impress in her evolving role within the team.

Kunaiyi-Akpanah contributed 11 points, and Izoje added eight, as D’Tigress showed improved balance in attack.

For Minnesota, Courtney Williams led the scoring with 17 points. The hosts’ collective offensive strength was evident, as they recorded 43 bench points compared to Nigeria’s 28.

Although the African champions recorded more rebounds (36–25) and also edged steals (8–5), they were undone by lower shooting efficiency, converting 40 per cent of their field goals compared to the Lynx’s 50 per cent. Nigeria also trailed in assists (23–11).

Both teams matched each other with 32 points in the paint, but Minnesota capitalised on fast-break opportunities, scoring 13 points to Nigeria’s seven. The Lynx also benefited from superior ball movement, creating higher-quality scoring chances.

The contest featured six lead changes and was tied on five occasions, although Minnesota’s biggest lead of 15 points ultimately proved decisive.

Despite the defeat, Nigeria showed encouraging signs with a youthful and experimental squad assembled as part of a broader rebuilding phase.

The 21-player camp roster is heavily dominated by athletes from the American collegiate system, with 15 players drawn from 14 NCAA programmes, as the Nigeria Basketball Federation looks to build depth ahead of future competitions.

Gabby White, Stephanie Okechukwu, Shay Ijiwoye, Nora Ezike, Uche Izoje, and Danielle Osho are part of a new generation being integrated into the national team setup.

The tour forms part of preparations for the 2026 FIBA Women’s Basketball World Cup in Berlin in September, where Nigeria will compete in Group B alongside France, South Korea, and Hungary.