Nigeria’s D’Tigresses have maintained their place among the world’s elite, ranked 8th in the latest FIBA Women’s World Rankings and maintaining their position as number in Africa.
The ranking, released last Wednesday, saw the reigning African champions amass with 700.3 points.
The latest ranking following the conclusion of the FIBA Women’s Basketball World Cup 2026 qualifying tournaments, keeps Nigeria as the highest-ranked team in Africa and the only African side in the global top 10.
D’Tigress were active during the qualifying window, recording a mix of results against top opposition. They opened with a dominant 70–37 victory over Colombia, before losing 77–60 to South Korea. Nigeria responded with a 101–84 win against the Philippines, but fell short in their final games, losing 93–86 to France and 81–73 to Germany.
At the top of the rankings, the United States retained first place after an unbeaten run in San Juan. France moved up to second, overtaking Australia, who dropped to third,
China (fourth) and Belgium (fifth) both held their positions, with Belgium closing the gap on China after a strong qualifying campaign.
Spain remain sixth, while Canada stay seventh, with both teams unchanged in the latest update.
On the African rankings, Mali (18th) are the next highest-ranked team behind Nigeria, while Senegal (22nd) improved their position following their qualifying performances. Mozambique (34th) and Cameroon (37th) are also ranked among the continent’s top teams.
The updated rankings will be used to determine seedings for the FIBA Women’s Basketball World Cup 2026 draw, scheduled for April 21.
Nigeria will now continue preparations for the tournament in Berlin, where they are expected to compete among the top-ranked teams.
