Photo Credit: Nigeria head coach Rena Wakama / Photo: PunchNG
D’Tigress Await Coach Rena Wakama Ahead of FIBA Women’s World Cup
Nigeria’s women’s basketball team, D’Tigress, are awaiting the arrival of head coach Rena Wakama as they enter the final stretch of preparations for the 2026 FIBA Women’s Basketball World Cup in Germany.

Wakama is currently in the United States where she combines her national team duties with her role as assistant coach of WNBA side Chicago Sky, a position she took up in April under head coach Tyler Marsh. She is expected to link up with the team before the tournament tips off.

The World Cup is scheduled to hold from September 4 to 13. D’Tigress will round off their build-up in Zaragoza, Spain, where they are lined up to face Mali and Puerto Rico in preparation games before heading to Berlin.

Nigeria’s preparations started with a training camp in Chicago from July 29 to August 2, followed by a three-game tour of China and further friendlies against top European sides in Spain.

The African champions have had a tough run in their warm-up games, recording one win and four defeats. After narrow 70-67 and 69-65 losses to China, they bounced back with an 88-77 victory on August 12. However, they suffered heavy defeats in Tenerife, losing 83-58 to hosts Spain on August 21 and 90-55 to Belgium a day later.

The results have highlighted areas needing improvement as the team looks to build on their quarter-final finish at the last World Cup in 2022.

D’Tigress head to Germany as five-time consecutive AfroBasket champions following their 78-64 win over Mali in the 2025 final, and after making history at the Paris 2024 Olympics as the first African team to reach the quarter-finals.

Nigeria qualified directly for the World Cup as AfroBasket champions, though they also featured in the qualifying tournament in Lyon-Villeurbanne, France. This will be Nigeria’s third World Cup appearance after 2006 and 2018, with their best finish being eighth place in 2018.
Source: Original story by PUNCH Sports Extra –