Nigeria had the worst outing at the FIBA Women’s World Cup yet at the ongoing 2026 edition in Germany, where they have lost all three group games to South Korea in the opening game, Hungary in the second, and then France yesterday.

But the defeat by France was the most humiliating, as D’Tigress, who once made the quarterfinals of the championship, were humiliated 111–56 in their final Group B game in Berlin.

Yesterday, in a game that was merely ceremonial for the Nigerian girls, who had already crashed out of the competition, the reigning African champions were simply unable to match France’s intensity, shooting efficiency and offensive firepower.

France showed their intent in the opening quarter, racing to a 31–13 lead, before extending the advantage to 65–26 at half-time.

They continued their dominance after the break, adding 30 points in the third quarter before closing out the contest with another 16 in the final period.

Nigeria managed just 56 points, scoring 13 in each of the first three quarters before producing 17 in the fourth.

The defeat also highlighted the gulf in shooting efficiency. Nigeria attempted 56 field goals and made only 17, while France attempted 65 and converted at a significantly higher rate. France were particularly devastating from beyond the arc, with their long-range shooting helping them build an unassailable advantage.

The result comes after D’Tigress had already suffered defeats to South Korea (99–81) and Hungary (71–67) in their opening two Group B games.

It means Nigeria finished their return to the World Cup without a victory, a major disappointment for a team that arrived in Berlin with considerable expectations following its historic run to the quarter-finals at the Paris 2024 Olympic Games.

Speaking after the game, Coach Rena Wakama said Berlin showed the difficulty in rebuilding a team, while promising that Nigeria will bounce back.

She said: “A lot of people saw what we did in 2024, and the reality of where we are today is that we’re in a rebuilding process. I think connectivity is a big thing for myself, my team and my staff. Where we are today isn’t where we were two years ago. We can’t rely on the success we had two years ago. Who we are today, we’re still figuring that out, and I know we will.”

Wakama also pointed to the level of experience and competitive sharpness within the French squad, noting that several of their players are regular WNBA starters and are entering the playoffs in peak form.

“A lot of those players are in playoff shape. They play in the WNBA, and my players just weren’t there yet to be able to compete at the level that they were competing at,” she explained.

She would rather dwell on the positives, saying: “When you have a new team, and I have so many young players, I think I have about five or six young players on this team who have never been at this stage before, some of whom just graduated from college. I was super proud of the fight, specifically today.”