Nigeria’s Junior D’Tigress Leap Nine Spots in Latest FIBA Youth Rankings

Nigeria’s Junior D’Tigress have made a notable rise in the latest FIBA World Ranking for girls’ basketball teams, climbing nine places to 26th in the world, according to the newest standings released on Thursday.

The jump marks Nigeria as one of the biggest movers globally, placing them as the fourth-largest riser in the updated list and the highest-ranked nation to increase their standing within the top 30 teams.

On the African continent, the Junior D’Tigress now sit third overall with 469.5 points, trailing only Mali (16th) and Egypt (21st), both of whom also climbed in the latest rankings.

The United States retained the top spot in the global rankings, followed by Spain and Canada — positions unchanged from the previous release. The American team’s continued dominance comes on the back of their fourth consecutive title at the FIBA U‑19 Women’s Basketball World Cup in Czechia.

Nigeria’s improved ranking reflects their performance at recent international competitions, where strong showings and competitive games boosted their points tally and signalled growth and potential within the junior programme.