Nigeria’s women’s basketball team, D’Tigress, ended their United States tour on a difficult note after suffering a heavy 105-57 loss to the Indiana Fever in Indianapolis on Sunday.
The match, played at Gainbridge Fieldhouse in front of over 10,000 fans, saw the WNBA side dominate from start to finish, controlling pace, spacing, and execution across all four quarters.
D’Tigress started with Promise Amukamara, Ezinne Kalu, Victoria Macaulay, Nicole Enabosi, and Pallas Kunaiyi-Akpanah, but struggled early as Indiana’s fast ball movement and aggressive offence quickly exposed gaps in their defence.
The American team built a strong lead in the first quarter and extended it significantly before halftime, going into the break with a commanding advantage that effectively settled the contest.
Indiana’s efficiency was evident throughout, as they recorded far more assists and shot at a much higher percentage from both the field and three-point range compared to Nigeria, who struggled with shooting accuracy and failed to hit any shots from beyond the arc.
Turnovers also played a major role, with Nigeria losing possession multiple times under pressure, which Indiana converted into easy fast-break points.
Despite moments of defensive effort, including several steals, D’Tigress were unable to consistently convert those gains into structured offensive plays, further widening the performance gap.
Indiana’s standout performers included Kelsey Mitchell, who led the scoring, along with Caitlin Clark and Aliyah Boston, who contributed efficiently in limited minutes during the preseason matchup.
The defeat marked the end of a winless U.S. tour for Nigeria, following earlier losses to the Los Angeles Sparks and Minnesota Lynx, although the team showed slight improvement in their closest game against Minnesota.
The tour, which featured a largely young and developing Nigerian squad under assistant coach Wani Muganguzi in the absence of head coach Rena Wakama, was part of preparations ahead of the 2026 FIBA Women’s Basketball World Cup in Berlin.
Despite the results, the series provided valuable experience against top-level WNBA opposition, highlighting areas such as shooting efficiency, ball control, and tactical organisation that the team will need to improve before the global tournament.
