Nigeria’s women’s national basketball team, D’Tigress, suffered a second consecutive defeat on their United States tour after falling 88–79 to the Minnesota Lynx in a competitive contest at the T-Mobile Center in Kansas City on Tuesday, PUNCH Online reports.
Playing under assistant coach Wani Muganguzi in the absence of head coach Rena Wakama, who is on WNBA duty with Chicago Sky, the Nigerian side showed marked improvement from their opening 89–63 loss to Los Angeles Sparks, pushing the Lynx across all four quarters.
D’Tigress started strongly, with the quintet of Promise Amukamara, Ezinne Kalu, Suzie Rafiu, Uche Izoje and Pallas Kunaiyi-Akpanah matching the tempo of their opponents in a fast-paced opening period that ended narrowly at 27–26 in favour of Minnesota.
The game remained closely contested through the first half, with the Lynx edging the second quarter 19–17 to take a 46–43 lead into the break, before gradually asserting control in the third period with a 21–16 advantage.
Minnesota maintained their edge in the final quarter, outscoring Nigeria 21–20 to seal a nine-point victory in front of a crowd of 6,510.
Kalu led Nigeria’s scoring with 25 points in an assured offensive display, while Gabby White added 16 points and continued to impress in her evolving role within the team.
Kunaiyi-Akpanah contributed 11 points, and Izoje chipped in eight as D’Tigress displayed improved balance in attack.
The African champions recorded 36 rebounds compared to Minnesota’s 25 and also edged steals 8–5, but were undone by lower shooting efficiency, converting 40 per cent of their field goals against the Lynx’s 50 per cent, while also trailing in assists 23–11.
Both teams matched each other with 32 points in the paint, but Minnesota capitalised on fast-break opportunities, scoring 13 points to Nigeria’s seven, and also benefited from superior ball movement which created higher-quality scoring chances.
The contest featured six lead changes and was tied on five occasions, although the Lynx’s biggest lead of 15 points ultimately proved decisive.
Courtney Williams led Minnesota with 17 points, while the hosts’ collective offensive effort saw them register 43 bench points compared to Nigeria’s 28.
Despite the defeat, Nigeria showed encouraging signs within a youthful and experimental squad assembled as part of a broader rebuilding phase.
The 21-player camp roster is heavily dominated by athletes from the American collegiate system, with 15 players drawn from 14 NCAA programmes as the Nigeria Basketball Federation looks to develop depth ahead of future competitions.
Players such as Gabby White, Stephanie Okechukwu, Shay Ijiwoye, Nora Ezike, Uche Izoje and Danielle Osho are part of a new generation being integrated into the national team setup.
The tour forms part of preparations for the 2026 FIBA Women’s Basketball World Cup in Berlin in September, where Nigeria will compete in Group B alongside France, South Korea and Hungary.
With one game remaining in the three-match series, D’Tigress will look to build on their improved performance when they face Indiana Fever on Saturday midnight, as the coaching crew continues to assess tactical cohesion and player combinations against elite WNBA opposition.
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