Nigeria’s women’s basketball team remains Africa’s highest-ranked side, maintaining 8th position in the latest global standings.
Nigeria’s D’Tigress have maintained their 8th position in the latest FIBA Women’s World Rankings, reinforcing their status as Africa’s top women’s basketball team.
The updated rankings, released on March 20, 2025, come shortly after the conclusion of the 2026 FIBA Women’s World Cup Qualifying Tournaments, where Nigeria delivered a mix of impressive wins and tough losses.
Despite facing strong global opposition, D’Tigress remain the only African team in the top 10, underlining their dominance on the continent and growing presence on the world stage.
Their qualifying campaign began in style with a dominant 70–37 victory over Colombia, before suffering a setback against South Korea (77–60). The team responded emphatically with a 101–84 win against the Philippines, showcasing their attacking strength.
However, defeats to France (93–86) and Germany (81–73) in their final games highlighted the competitive gap at the highest level, even as the team showed resilience throughout the tournament.
At the top of the rankings, the United States continue to lead, followed by France, Australia, China, and Belgium, forming a powerful top five.
Elsewhere in Africa, Mali (18th) are the next best-ranked team, while Senegal (22nd), Mozambique (34th), and Cameroon (37th) complete the continent’s notable representatives.
One of the biggest stories from the rankings is South Sudan, who climbed 13 places to 42nd, marking their first-ever entry into the global top 50 — a significant milestone for the rising basketball nation.
With the rankings set to influence seedings for the 2026 World Cup draw on April 21, D’Tigress will now shift focus to preparation, aiming to build on their global reputation and challenge the world’s elite teams later this year.
Their consistency at the top continues to prove one thing: “D’Tigress are not just African champions — they are a force on the global stage.”
