African champions, Nigeria D’Tigress, suffered an 89–63 defeat to the Los Angeles Sparks in a historic pre-season friendly at Viejas Arena, San Diego on Saturday, www.aclsports.com reports.
The encounter marked the first-ever meeting between an African national team and a WNBA franchise, a significant milestone for women’s basketball on the global stage.
Nigeria were led from the sidelines by assistant coach Wani Muganguzi, with head coach Rena Wakama unavailable due to her commitments with the Chicago Sky coaching staff.
D’Tigress started with Promise Amukamara, Ezinne Kalu, Nicole Enabosi, Victoria Macaulay and Pallas Kunaiyi-Akpanah, but the Sparks made a strong opening statement, racing to a 12–0 start before taking a 27–17 lead at the end of the first quarter. The WNBA side controlled the early tempo, capitalising on turnovers and defensive lapses from the Nigerian team.
The second quarter saw a more disciplined response from D’Tigress, with Uche Izoje and Favour Nwaedozi providing energy on offence. However, the Sparks maintained their composure and went into half-time with a 44–29 advantage.
The Sparks then took full control in the third quarter, using sharp ball movement and efficient finishing to stretch their lead further and effectively put the game beyond Nigeria’s reach heading into the final period.
In the fourth quarter, the Sparks’ depth and quality continued to tell as they closed out the contest comfortably to secure an 89–63 victory, with one of their most notable figures, veteran forward Nneka Ogwumike of Nigerian descent, watching on from the sidelines as she did not feature in the game.
Despite the defeat, D’Tigress produced several encouraging individual performances. Pallas Kunaiyi-Akpanah led the team with 11 points on perfect shooting, also contributing defensively with a steal and a block in limited minutes. Uche Izoje added 10 points and five rebounds, bringing strong energy on both ends of the floor.
Ezinne Kalu finished with eight points, all from the free-throw line, alongside three assists and three rebounds, continuing her role as the team’s primary playmaker. Promise Amukamara contributed eight points, four assists, four steals and two rebounds, while Gabby White added seven points, four assists and two steals off the bench.
Nigeria were ultimately undone by 24 turnovers and a 37 percent field-goal shooting rate, though they showed flashes of quality against top-level opposition.
The game stands as a landmark moment for African basketball, offering valuable exposure for D’Tigress against top-level competition, with several players also making their debuts for the team, including Gabby White, Uche Izoje and Favour Nwaedozi, all gaining valuable experience in their first appearances for the national team.
D’Tigress will now turn their attention to their next pre-season test against the Minnesota Lynx on 27 April at the T-Mobile Center in Kansas City, as preparations continue for the FIBA Women’s Basketball World Cup 2026 in Berlin, Germany.
