D’Tigress head coach Rena Wakama has praised her players for their fighting spirit and the performances of the team’s young stars despite Nigeria’s heavy defeat to France at the FIBA Women’s Basketball World Cup.
Nigeria’s African champions suffered a 111-56 defeat to France, ending their campaign with a third consecutive loss.
Despite the difficult result, Wakama said she was particularly proud of the character shown by her players, especially the younger members of the squad who were given an opportunity to compete on the biggest stage.
“I am most proud of our fight. I was super proud of the fight specifically even today,” Wakama said.
The D’Tigress coach highlighted the performances of Grace Efosa and Maryam, pointing to them as players who could become important figures for Nigerian basketball in the future.
“Grace Efosa played about 20 minutes and gave us 15 points. Maryam… these are names you guys will hear in the future,” Wakama added.
Wakama explained that she deliberately exposed her younger players to the intensity of the World Cup and was delighted with how they responded.
“I threw my young ones in the fire and they responded for me, so I am super proud of them.”
The defeat to France brought an end to a challenging World Cup campaign for D’Tigress, but Wakama believes the experience will provide valuable lessons for the team as Nigeria turns its attention to upcoming international competitions and qualifiers.
The emergence of young talents such as Efosa and Maryam could also provide encouragement for the future of Nigerian women’s basketball.
