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By Joe Apu
Nigeria’s women’s basketball program has recorded a significant rise in the latest FIBA Women’s Rankings for girls, moving up nine places to 26th in the world following an impressive showing on the international stage.
The Junior D’Tigress’ climb was driven by their strong performance at the FIBA U19 Women’s Basketball World Cup, where they finished 12th, underlining the country’s growing consistency and competitiveness against elite opposition. The ranking boost further cements Nigeria’s status as one of Africa’s leading basketball nations and a rising force globally.
While the United States remain firmly at the summit after another dominant year—highlighted by gold at the FIBA U19 Women’s Basketball World Cup 2025 in Brno and continued success across youth competitions—several nations made notable gains across the rankings.
Spain retained second place after podium finishes at the U19 World Cup and titles at both the FIBA U18 and U16 Women’s EuroBasket tournaments. Canada consolidated third position, with Australia closing the gap after moving up to fourth following a run to the U19 World Cup final.
Elsewhere, Slovenia, Italy, Serbia and Poland all enjoyed significant upward movement, reflecting strong performances across European youth competitions. Egypt also edged closer to the top 20 after winning the FIBA U16 Women’s AfroBasket 2025.
However, Nigeria’s rise stands out as a major highlight from Africa, signaling continued progress for the senior women’s team and reinforcing optimism ahead of future global tournaments.
