Nigeria women’s national basketball team, D’Tigress, will face a stern test at the 2026 FIBA Women’s Basketball World Cup after being drawn into a challenging Group B alongside France, Hungary and South Korea.
The draw sets up a demanding route for the African champions, who arrive at the tournament with growing global respect following their dominance on the continent. But in Berlin, they will come up against one of Europe’s strongest sides in France, Olympic silver medalists at Paris 2024, as well as disciplined outfits in Hungary and South Korea.
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Set to take place from September 4 to 13 in Berlin, Germany, the competition will bring together 16 of the world’s top teams an expanded format from the 12 that featured at the last edition in Sydney.
The spotlight will be on how D’Tigress will translate continental success onto the global stage. Their Afrobasket triumph in 2025 remains their status as Africa’s powerhouse, but the World Cup presents a different level of intensity, depth and tactical challenge.
While Nigeria navigates Group B, the broader tournament picture adds context to the scale of the task ahead. Defending champions United States will be chasing a fifth consecutive title after their dominant win over China in 2022 and have been drawn into a high-profile Group D that includes China, Italy and Czechia.
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Elsewhere, host nation Germany will headline Group A against Spain, Japan and Mali, while reigning European champions Belgium lead Group C alongside Australia, Puerto Rico and Turkiye.
The focus remains firmly on Group B where every game could define D’Tigress tournament. Facing France presents an immediate benchmark, while clashes against Hungary and South Korea could prove decisive in the race.
