By JOE APU
Nigeria’s D’Tigress have achieved a major milestone, climbing into the world’s top 10 in the latest FIBA Women’s World Ranking, presented by Nike.
The update, released after a series of FIBA Continental Cup competitions, saw the reigning African champions rise three spots to eighth — their highest position in recent years.
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The jump comes on the heels of D’Tigress’ historic fifth consecutive FIBA Women’s AfroBasket title, cementing their dominance on the continent. Nigeria remains the only African nation ever to reach the top 10 in the women’s global basketball rankings.
The achievement places them alongside some of the game’s elite, with the USA maintaining the No. 1 spot, followed by Australia, China, and Belgium. Brazil also moved up, now sitting ninth after reaching the FIBA Women’s AmeriCup final.
The Belgian Cats are proudly reflecting on being able to call themselves a global top five team for only the second time in their history.
Refreshed in the wake of the FIBA Continental Cup competitions that have taken place during recent months, Belgium have stepped above Spain who they beat in one of the all-time classic Finals to wrap up consecutive FIBA Women’s EuroBasket titles.
Elsewhere in the rankings, Mali surged six places to 18th after finishing runners-up at AfroBasket, while Colombia’s strong AmeriCup run lifted them to 19th. South Sudan’s fairytale debut, capped with a third-place AfroBasket finish, propelled them an astonishing 31 spots to 55th.
For Nigeria which now boasts of a total seven titles in all, the leap into eighth spot not only reflects their continental dominance but also signals their growing stature as a force in global women’s basketball.
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