NIGERIA ELIMINATED FROM WOMEN'S BASKETBALL WORLD CUP AFTER 0-2 START

Nigeria's women's basketball team became the first nation eliminated from the 2026 FIBA Women's Basketball World Cup after losing their opening two matches in Group B. The D'Tigress suffered an 18-point defeat to Korea in their opener, followed by a 71-67 loss to Hungary in a back-to-back fixture. According to basketball analyst Uche, this marked the first time since 2006 that Nigeria failed to progress to the quarterfinals of the World Cup.

The losses ended hopes of advancement despite a potential lifeline. Nigeria required Korea to defeat France in their final Group B match to maintain qualification chances, but France dominated Korea 95-69, effectively eliminating the African nation. Under FIBA World Cup competition format, even a victory over France in Nigeria's final group game would not alter their position; France, Korea and Hungary have already secured more wins, and head-to-head tiebreaker rules place Nigeria fourth in the group regardless of their remaining result.

The elimination represents the lowest point of head coach Rena Wakama's tenure since her appointment in 2023. Nigeria had reached the quarterfinals when they returned to World Cup competition in 2018 after missing two previous tournaments. The result contrasts sharply with the team's performance at the 2024 Paris Olympics, where they reached the quarterfinals and became fan favourites after defeating Australia and Canada.