Nigeria’s senior national team, D’Tigress, began the defence of their continental title in brilliant fashion, following a commanding 92-45 victory over Rwanda in their opening group game on Saturday at the 2025 FIBA Women’s Afrobasket tournament currently taking place in the Ivory Coast.

The six-time African champions, who are yet to lose a game at the FIBA Women’s Afrobasket tournament since the semi-finals of the 2015 edition, continued their unbeaten run by dismissing the Rwandans in emphatic style at the Palais des Sports de Treichville in Abidjan, having won all four quarters of the clash by a score of 17-8, 28-17, 26-12, and 21-8 respectively.

Coach Rena Wakama’s side registered 70 field goal attempts and recorded 35 field goals made throughout the contest. The team also made a total of 44 rebounds, 25 assists, 14 steals and two blocks in the statement win.

Rwanda, on the other hand, put up 52 field goal attempts and managed just 15 field goals made. Total rebounds stood at a paltry 28, while they recorded 11 assists, nine steals, three blocks and a whopping 22 turnovers.

Top performers for Nigeria were Elizabeth Balogun, Victoria Macaulay, Murjanatu Musa, Ifunaya Okoro, and Amy Okonkwo,  who all registered double-figure point hauls. Balogun scored a game-high 18 points and four rebounds, Macaulay had 13 points, Musa chipped in with 12 points and five rebounds, Okoro added 11 points, while Okonkwo contributed 10 points and four rebounds. Every member of the D’Tigress squad scored on the day, with new entrant Vera Ojenuwa registering four points in her debut for the national team.

Meanwhile, Rwanda’s best player on the day was Destiney Philoxy, who put up 11 points and four rebounds, while Keisha Hampton also reached double figures, scoring 10 points in the heavy defeat.

Nigeria will next face Mozambique in their second and final round-robin fixture on Monday, with a win enough to see the defending champions into the quarter-finals of the competition.