August 02, (THEWILL) — Nigeria’s national women’s basketball team, D’Tigress, defeated Senegal 75-68 in the semi-final of the 2025 FIBA Women’s Afrobasket at the Palais des Sports de Treichville in Abidjan late on Friday. The victory extends their tournament winning streak to 24 consecutive matches since 2015 and puts them one game away from claiming a fifth straight continental title. Promise Amukamara led Nigeria with 17 points, five assists and three steals, while Amy Okonkwo contributed 14 points and seven rebounds in a commanding performance.
The match began with Nigeria establishing an eight-point lead after the opening quarter, but Senegal responded with improved defensive pressure and accurate three-point shooting to reduce the deficit to three points by half-time. Yacine Diop scored a game-high 22 points for Senegal, keeping her team competitive throughout the contest. Both sides exchanged leads during a closely contested third quarter before Nigeria’s superior depth and ability to create turnovers proved decisive in the final period.
Head coach Rena Wakama’s team capitalised on fast-break opportunities while maintaining discipline in crucial moments to avoid costly fouls. The Nigerians have now reached every Afrobasket final since 2017, with three of their four titles during this period coming against Senegal. Their bench rotation proved particularly effective in the closing stages, allowing key players to maintain energy levels when the game remained in the balance.
Nigeria will face either Mali or tournament hosts Côte d’Ivoire in Sunday’s final, depending on the outcome of Saturday’s second semi-final. A victory would make D’Tigress the first team in modern tournament history to win five consecutive Women’s Afrobasket championships. The current squad has maintained remarkable consistency across multiple generations of players, with several veterans from their 2017 breakthrough still contributing at the highest level.
Wakama praised her players’ execution after the match, stating: “The team stuck to our game plan and did not let the physical nature of the contest affect our composure. We have one more game to complete what we started.” The 2025 tournament represents Nigeria’s opportunity to further establish their dominance in African women’s basketball, having won every continental championship since breaking Mali’s previous stranglehold on the competition eight years ago.
Jude Obafemi is a versatile senior Correspondent at THEWILL Newspapers, excelling in sourcing, researching, and delivering sports news stories for both print and digital publications.
