Photo Credit: Joi John/Instagram
Nigeria’s very own D’Tigress are soaring higher than ever! The reigning African champions have climbed to 8th place in the latest FIBA Women’s World Rankings — their highest position yet — and they remain the only African team to have ever broken into the global top 10.
It’s a well-earned reward for a team that’s been rewriting history. Just last month, they claimed their fifth consecutive FIBA Women’s AfroBasket title (and seventh overall), proving once again that they rule African basketball. This victory also booked their ticket to the 2026 FIBA Women’s Basketball World Cup.
Their climb up the rankings didn’t happen overnight. From their unforgettable run at the Paris 2024 Olympics, where they became the first African team to ever reach the quarter-finals, to back-to-back dominant performances in AfroBasket, D’Tigress have shown they can take on the best in the world and win.
With 640.1 points in the FIBA standings, they’ve moved ahead of basketball heavyweights Brazil and Serbia, locking in their place among the sport’s elite. USA still hold the top spot globally, but Nigeria is right there in the conversation — alongside Australia, France, China, and Belgium in the top 10.
Across Africa, Mali made an impressive leap to 18th after finishing as AfroBasket runners-up, while Senegal sit 25th, Mozambique 32nd, Cameroon 35th, and Egypt 43rd. And in one of the year’s most heartwarming stories, South Sudan rocketed 31 places to 55th after clinching bronze on their AfroBasket debut.
