Nigeria’s senior women’s basketball team, D’Tigress, have officially commenced preparations for the 2026 FIBA Women’s World Cup with an extensive international training and exhibition tour ahead of the global showpiece.
The reigning African champions opened their training camp in Chicago, Illinois, on Tuesday, July 29, where they will fine-tune preparations until August 2 before embarking on a series of high-profile friendly games across Asia and Europe.
The team will next travel to Haikou, China, where they are scheduled to play three friendly matches against the Chinese national team between August 3 and August 14.
From China, D’Tigress will move to Tenerife, Spain, for further preparations, taking on European heavyweights Spain and Belgium from August 15 to August 24.
Their final phase of preparation will be held in Zaragoza, Spain, where they will face fellow African side Mali and Puerto Rico between August 25 and September 3.
The global tour is designed to ensure the Nigerian side is in peak condition before the 2026 FIBA Women’s World Cup, which will take place in Berlin, Germany, from September 4 to September 13.
The extensive build-up underscores Nigeria’s ambition to make a significant impact on the world stage as D’Tigress aim to build on their growing reputation as one of Africa’s leading women’s basketball teams.
